Before We Eat, 2E
*Second Edition
* MOONBEAM GOLD AWARD *
* GROWING GOOD KIDS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE, AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AND NATIONAL MASTER JUNIOR GARDENER PROGRAM *
Milk doesn’t just appear in your refrigerator, nor do apples grow in the bowl on the kitchen counter.
Before We Eat has been adopted by the USDA’s Agriculture in the Classroom program.
Before we eat, many people work very hard?planting grain, catching fish, tending farm animals, and filling crates of vegetables. With vibrant illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Mary Azarian, this book reminds us what must happen before food gets to our tables to nourish our bodies and spirits.
This expanded edition of Before We Eat includes back-of-book features about school gardens and the national farm-to-school movement.
Fountas & Pinnell Level L
Color throughout
Additional Information
| Author | Pat Brisson |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardcover |
| Illustrator | Mary Azarian |
| ISBN | 9780884486527 |
| Pages | 36 |
Amadi’s Snowman
Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Global Empathy
In AMADI'S SNOWMAN, Katia Novet Saint-lot, why does Amadi's mother insist he learn to read words when he is going to be a great businessman? Why should an Igbo man of Nigeria waste precious time on books, anyway? When Amadi disobeys his mother and runs off to the market instead of sticking around for a reading lesson, he encounters a much-admired older boy secretly reading at a book stall. Crowding himself in among the stacks of books, Amadi becomes intrigued by a storybook with pictures of a strange white creature with a carrot for a nose. Over the course of a typical mischievous day, unable to shake his questions about the snowman, Amadi discovers the vast world reading could open up--especially for an Igbo man of Nigeria.
City Fish, Country Fish
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 9 to 12, Science, Nature and Environment
In CITY FISH, COUNTRY FISH, by Mary Cerullo, we discover that how like some people live in the country, close to the land, where they enjoy peace and quiet, others live in high-rise apartments in the city and love the hustle and bustle of crowds and nonstop activity, both day and night. In many ways fish are very similar. In the ocean there are places that have some of the characteristics of the country or of the city. Like the classic tale of The City Mouse and the Country Mouse, there are advantages and disadvantages to each habitat. We'll compare how the fishes that live in tropical seas (the city) and those that swim through cold oceans (the country) meet the challenges and opportunities of their own ecosystems.
Playing War
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving Conflict
PLAYING WAR, by Kathy Beckwith, is a book about understanding what war can be like for families, and that it’s not a game, it’s also a sensitive story about the power of friendship and how children can learn from one another.
Muskrat Will Be Swimming
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Global Empathy, Native American, Tolerance & Resolving Conflict
MUSKRAT WILL BE SWIMMING, by Cheryl Savageau, is a quiet tale of a Native American girl who, with gentle guidance from her grandfather, learns to find strength, not fear, in her identity as a Native person living in an Anglo society. Beautifully illustrated and complete with a Seneca creation story, Muskrat Will Be Swimming demonstrates how the ancient stories of Native American cultures are used to help today's children find their way in the world. It is a treasure for all who have ever dealt with the fear of being different.
A Gift for Gita
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Global Empathy
In A GIFT FOR GITA, by Rachna Gilmore, Gita has made friends in her adopted home, but is now faced with the possibility of returning to India where most of her relatives still live. A Gift for Gita is a touching story about the importance of friendship and stability and the meaning of 'home'. This is the final book in the critically acclaimed series.
Give a Goat
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving Conflict
When Mrs. Rowell's class is inspired by a rainy-day book to reach out with helping hands, wonderful things happen. Not the least of these wonderful things is a combined, enthusiastic effort by the entire class to reach a common goal. In this true story readers will discover even the smallest good-will efforts are rewarded with positive results. Humorous illustrations show the philanthropic process from inspiration through brainstorming to getting down to work, collecting funds and celebrating success. Give a Goat is a template for adults and children who want to work together to experience the satisfaction of giving to others and making a difference in the world.
Lucy’s Family Tree
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Modern Family, Tolerance & Resolving Conflict
In LUCY'S FAMILY TREE, by Karen Halvorsen Schreck, when Lucy comes home from school with a family tree assignment, she asks her parents to write her a note to excuse her from the task. Lucy's adoption from Mexico makes her feel as though her family is too 'different', but her parents gently and wisely challenge Lucy to think some more about it and to find three families that are the 'same'. As Lucy ponders her list of school and family friends who are 'normal', she comes to realize that there are many different kinds of families.
Opening Day
Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving Conflict
In OPENING DAY, by Susan Bartlett, we learn that Sam's best friend Eric loves to hunt. His whole family hunts--even his mom and grandma! But Sam's mom is a vegetarian, and his dad prefers to buy his meat at the supermarket. Sam wants to make up his own mind, and with his parent's support he works hard to get his hunting license so he can join Eric and his dad for opening day. Although he feels great to be one of the crowd at the opening-day breakfast, once he sees a deer in the woods, he wonders if he really wants to shoot an animal. And if he decides hunting is not for him, will Eric still be his friend?
One of Us
Anti-Bullying, Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving Conflict
In ONE OF US, by Peggy Moss and illustrated by Penny Weber, Carmen tells Roberta on her first day at a new school that she's one of them. Roberta gladly sits with the rest of the straight-up-hair girls until she hears they don't play on the monkey bars. Roberta loves the monkey bars and leaps at the chance to swing with the monkey-bar posse, until she hears they don't carry flowered lunch-boxes like she does. Roberta moves from group to group, just trying to be herself, until it seems she doesn't fit in anywhere. Then Roberta discovers some kids just like her, everyone's different and they like it that way!
Always My Brother
Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Tolerance & Resolving Conflict
In ALWAYS MY BROTHER, by Jean Reagan, Becky and her brother John were best buddies, telling jokes, caring for their dog Toby together, and playing soccer. John was always there to cheer her up and help her out--until he died. Becky wishes everything could go back to the way it was. When she is surprised and feels guilty about enjoying a friend's birthday party, her mom wraps reassuring arms around her and says, "Don't you think he'd want you to laugh, even now?" She gradually realizes that she can still enjoy the things that they used to do together and that the memories of John continue to make him part of their family.
Bear-ly There
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Science, Nature and Environment
In BEAR-LY THERE, by author/illustrator Rebekah Raye, we learn what do you do when there's a bear in your backyard. A big black bear shows up one moonlit night and creates a real ruckus, first breaking into the shed where the grain is kept for the geese (who aren't too happy about it), then raiding the bird feeders. The bear is also causing problems at other homes in the neighborhood, getting into the trash and compost and eating dog food that was left out overnight. One neighbor offers to shoot it. Another one suggests calling the game warden to have the bear tranquilized and relocated. But the child among them knows what is best. A bear belongs in the woods, he says, and together with the adults clears the yards in the neighborhood of any food that would tempt the bear. His dad comes up with a good idea for warning the bear away--and it works!
Kunu’s Basket
Award Winners, Education & Teaching, Middle Grade, Children's Books, Ages 6 to 8, Ages 9 to 12, Global Empathy, Native American
In KUNU'S BASKET, by Lee DeCora Francis, young Kunu wants to make a pack basket on his own. He's watched his dad and his grandfather make baskets on Indian Island, but now that he's trying to make one for himself, it's not as easy as he thought it would be. Kunu isn't a quitter, but he gets so frustrated that he has to go outside to cool off. When his grandfather asks Kunu to help him with some basket-making tasks, Kunu comes to understand that it is the tradition in his family for one generation to help the next. He also learns that it might take several tries before he gets it right. Can he be patient enough to try again and again? His grandfather shows him the way, and at last Kunu's first basket is something to celebrate.
