Check out the Wisconsin State Reading Association’s Author Festival!

Print out the brochure here – Authors Festival 2010.

4A and 4K alumni who have attended the Authors Festival in the past have given the conference a two thumbs up!

Check out the Grades 3-5 section and write sports poetry, create online trading cards, making board games, and lots more.

Leave a comment to recommend a cool activity that you tried out!

Remember to include your blog URL so her students can respond to your blog. Thank you!

This is Fiona Beal from Cape town (specifically Fish Hoek which is a part of Cape Town) South Africa. I have been looking at and enjoying your blog. I am the computer teacher at Fish Hoek Primary and I have done a Senior Citizens/Grandparents project with one of my Gr 4/5 classes. I wondered if your students could write in my class individual blogs and tell us something about their grandparents. We would love the connection and information.

Please view our blog at
http://fionabeal.edublogs.org

Students went to the computer lab to go on a virtual field trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame to research famous Hall of Famers. Many students were able to view videos and photos of the players, along with other primary source documents available on the site.

Have you ever seen the comedy duo of Abbott and Costello perform their famous routine called “Whos’ on First?” Fourth graders practiced their fluency – and comedy skills – as they read the script of this hilarious baseball routine with partners.

4K’s current read-aloud book is titled In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, written by Bette Bao Lord. It’s a story set in the 1940s about a girl named Shirley Temple Wong who moves from China to America. Shirley doesn’t speak English and has trouble making friends in her new school until she discovers that she loves to play stickball. She also finds a hero in Brooklyn Dodger baseball superstar Jackie Robinson. Ask your fourth grader to share this wonderful story with you.

We also shared several read-aloud books about baseball, including Mama Played Baseball by David Adler, a story about the All-American Girls” Professional Baseball League, The Babe and I, a tale of a Depression Era boy and his father and Babe Ruth, and Teammates, which tells about the friendship between Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese during a challenging time in American baseball history.

These activities have combined reading, listening, social studies, math, research, and technology skills – and baseball! Not a bad way to spend a few days in the spring!

Would you like to read a outstanding book that even might leave you puzzled for a while?Then you should read Davy Crocket by George Sullivan.

This book is about Davy Crocket’s adventures around the world, life, and very important events in his life and friends and family’s life like the creek war.Davy’s personality in my point of view is brave and respectful because instead of staying at his nice cool cabin he went to fight for Texas’ independence and when Andrew Jackson tried to sabotage Davy’s campaign Davy still respected Andrew Jackson.

Davy Crocket is perfect for a report or even a class biography.Davy Crocket is fantastic when you just want to learn about great historical events like the siege of the Alamo.Or it’s also a great eye popping, Heart stopping, action packed, and book of fun!

Once again,if you would like to read a outstanding book get Davy Crocket at your library or book store.

Making over 100 American Flags for the army? Unbelievable! This truly amazing book I read is called Betsy Ross. It is by Peter and Connie Roop. Many of the pictures were from the Bostonian Society, and the Library of Congress.

In this biography, Betsy is a clever, nice and hardworking Quaker. She never gives up in all of her important tasks, such as running an Upholstery Shop by herself. Betsy gets married to a wonderful man named John Ross. Even though it was against her family’s rights, she believed it was the right thing to do. John Ross is a caring and hardworking husband. But he died after a gunpowder explosion, and was caught in it! Betsy was married two more times, but those husbands also died.

One of the reasons you should read this book is because of all the amazing accomplishments Betsy did. For example, she made over 100 flags for the army, or se cared for 7 children. Another reason you should read this book is some parts of her Betsy’s life were happy, like when her flag was chosen by Congress. The last reason is that other parts of her life were sad, like when all of her husbands died at different times in her life.

I would recommend this book to someone at least 8 years old because I sometimes felt like crying when someone in her family died. A lot of us think she did make the American flag, some don’t think so. Others believe she just worked in an Upholstery Shop. Who knows? You choose if she did or she didn’t!

If you want a good biography then check out Betsy Ross.  The authors are Peter Roop and Connie Roop, the title is Betsy Ross. The series is In Their Own Word.

Betsy Ross was born on January 1, 1752 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The most exciting part of her life was when she won the contest to see who would sew the American Flag.  She could only sew the Flag in the orders of George Washington. He only wanted 13 red and white strips and white stars with a blue background.  Her later years were rough.  Her child and her husband died in the same year.  The really sad thing is she died as a widow.  Remember, she was the first woman to sew the first American Flag. She helped make our Country what it is today!

Here are tree awesome reasons why you should read Betsy Ross. You would learn about Betsy Ross’s life and death and how she got inspired to sew the American Flag.  Also, this book will tell you about her three husbands, how she learned to sew, and many cooler things about her life.  Finally this book tells how she made out Country what it is today and how well and quickly she learned to sew.

I recommend this book to ages 9 and up.  Remember if you want a good book than check out Betsy Ross.  The series is In Their Own Word, authors Peter Roop and Connie Roop.

Do you want to read an exiting biography book about two famous people? Then read Lewis and Clark by George Sullivan. There is no illustrator because the book is a primary source, it has real pictures.

There are lots of characters in this book. They include Lewis and Clark (Two explorers that led the expedition), Sacagawea (a woman who helped Lewis and Clark on the journey), The Indians, and much more. The book takes place at the Missouri River.

You should read this book because it has lots of history packed into it. Like when Lewis and Clack bounded with the Indians. Also, this book has lots of cool pictures. Last but not least, Lewis and Clark (name of book) has lots of words and things you could learn in the book.

This is sure an awesome biography book! If you like adventure, history, and fun facts; get Lewis and Clark by George Sullivan at your local library or bookstore.

Are you looking for a fun to read full of information book?  Then try Betsy Ross by Peter and Connie Roop in the series In their own words.

Have you heard a primary source?  Well, if you haven’t they are real, in your words.  And a secondary source is what people think or what s/he did.  Well, did you know that this book is a secondary source, with primary sources in it.  A primary source of Betsy Ross is that she has accomplished so much in her life like creating the American flag.

Here are 3 reasons why you should read the book.  You should read the book because it is exciting in a lot of parts like when Betsy gets married.  Also, because it is really fun to read if it is exciting to you it is definitely going to be fun to read.  And, it is sad in some parts but then it gets happy again like when Betsy’s first husband dies she finds another husband.

I recommend this book to any one who wants to learn about Betsy Ross.  Again, if you are looking for a fun to read full of information book read Betsy Ross!  If you want to read this book ask your teacher or check your school or local library!

Have you ever been on an airplane? Did you ever wonder who made it and how it was made? Read this nonfiction book and amazing book. The Wight brothers from the series (In Their Own Words). By George Sullivan who wrote most of the books in the series. This book has photographs of the Wright brothers, their airplane, and much more! Go steep by steep making the airplane like you were helping them.

The Wright brothers Wilbur and Orville were not the only kids in the family. There were five kids in the family, four boys and one girl. Their names were Wilbur, Orville, Lorin, Reuchlin, and Katharine. Wilbur was four years older than Orville. Otto Lilienthal inspired them, he made gliders.

Learn about history, see real photographs, and be amazed by who made the first airplane. Did you know that the Wrights owned a bicycle shop? Or that Orville crashed nine times? Or… well I can’t tell everything, read this great book to find out.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to lean about the Wrights. The Wrights made that airplane for you; the least you can do is learn about them. This book will answer all your questions about the brothers.  Are you ready to takeoff in a great book? I hope you are!

If you love the adventures of Lewis and Clark then you might like Lewis and Clark In there own words. If you don’t then I wouldn’t even take a peek at the rest of the book review. Lewis and Clark was written by George Sullivan . the title is Lewis and Clark. There is no illustrator because they used primary sources.

If Thomas Jefferson didn’t let them go on this trip then the adventure of Lewis and Clark meeting the Native Americans would never be invented! At this point they wouldn’t be recognized all around America! This story takes place all around America! From Virginia to the rocky mountains! Clark is more active than Lewis and he is four years older and he complains about rain. Lewis on the other hand is a very artistic person and he like to draw and write in his journal.

One reason you should read this book is when they got to see the pacific ocean! It isn’t much of a sight now then it was back then. Another reason you should read this book is when they saw the great falls! Wouldn’t it be cool if you were one of them and you got to see it! It would be amazing! The last reason is when Lewis got shot. Who would want to kill a generous man like Lewis?

I recommend Lewis and Cark to all ages ( unless you don’t like the adventures of Lewis and Clark). Lewis and Clark set out on the adventure for victory and because Thomas Jefferson wanted them to. So if you like the adventures of Lewis and  Clark then I know you would like this book!!!

What was it like building the first plane to fly on its own power? The Wright Brothers was written by George Sullivan and primary sources from The Wright Brothers diary.

The Wright Brothers got their inspiration from Otto Lilienthal, who died in the year of 1891. The Wright Brothers had two major flying sites Kitty Hawk and Huffman Prairie. The first site was Kitty Hawk; they made a lot of progress there with the help of some friends and family. The Wright family had five children, four boys, and one girl. Their names were Wilbur, Orville, Lorin, Reuchlin, and Katharine the only girl. Their parents names were Susan Wright their mother, and Bishop Milton Wright their father.

A couple of reasons why I like this book is because the brothers did not spend day and night working on the plane. They had a few other hobbies like, they made a neighborhood newspaper, and they owned a bicycle shop together. That helps out a lot with putting the pieces together. Another is they didn’t work alone on those projects; they had help from other neighbors, family and friends. They had people that were just being nice.

The Wright Brothers is one book from the series “In Their Own Words.” They have other books like Lewis and Clark, Helen Killer, Davy Crockett, Betsy Ross, and Pocahontas. I would recommend this book to third, fourth, and fifth graders. Building the plane must have been an awesome adventure for them.

Hey do you want to read a awesome book. Then I got the right book for you is Davy Crockett! The best book around. It’s the perfect book if you like excitement. And the genius of this book is George Sullivan and the illustrator is unknown.

So far it is about a man that is a professional hunter who has run away from his family and came back two years later. So now he is a husband and has 4, 3, or 2 children. That’s it that is the only clue I’ll give. To learn the rest you will have to read Davy Crockett!

Remember to read Davy Crockett if you want to be a winner. And so here are the characters first Mr. Crockett (Davy’s dad, second Mrs. Crockett (Davy’s mom) and his brother and sisters, Mr. Siler and William.

You should read Davy Crockett because it has excitement, adventure, and amazement. That’s why you need to read this book. This book does not just help your

This book, Davy Crockett was a 5 star book. It was awesome, exiting, and sad all at the same time! The author is George Sullivan. Most of the pictures in this book came from the New York Public Library, but the rest came from many more different places.

The main character is Davy Crockett. He is a frontiersman of many skills. He is also brave, adventurous, daring, and humble. The book described him as a “ colorful frontiersman”. The plot of this book is to tell you about his life. On August 17, 1786 Davy Crockett was born. Throughout his life Davy moved a lot. He also ran for a seat in representatives but lost. Finally he goes to Texas to free it from Mexico. He is stationed at the Alamo to defend it. The Mexicans order all the American solders to be slaughtered. Will Davy die or will he escape? You’ll just have to read this amazing book to find out!

Here are a few reasons you should read this book. One it’s exiting like when Davy fights in two wars. Second it is jammed pack full of facts like when he was born, died and more! Last off this book has a gazillion primary and secondary sources like the Crockett Almanacs.

I recommend this book to ages 9-13. Again it was the best book ever and has 5 stars from me. So go and get this book at your local library or book store!