Junie B. First Grader : BOO --and I MEAN IT!

I remember when my kids first got hooked on the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Parks. It was about four years ago when the twins were in the first grade. Their teacher read Junie B. books aloud to the class everyday and let me tell you, they loved it

There seems to be a Junie B. book for just about every occasion, including Halloween. In book number 24 of the series, Junie B. First Grader: BOO-and I MEAN IT!, Junie B. needs to find a costume that will scare off the real witches and ghosts she believes will be out haunting on Halloween. She decides to dress up as Squirty the Clown and then even the scariest of witches and goblins will be scared of her.

Junie B. Jones has a funny and unique way of expressing herself, coining phrases that ring true to the way most children her age say things. Ex: "Chills came on my arms."

Click here to download a Junie B. screensaver, color with Junie B., or to print Junie B. activity pages.

The Kissing Hand

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn is a wonderful story to read on the first day of school. All four of my children started school with this book.


It's about Chester the Raccoon and his fear of going to school. Chester's mom relieves his fear by kissing the palm of his hand and telling him that she is always there with him. If he misses her or becomes frightened or anxious at school, all he has to do is hold his palm to his cheek and feel her love and kisses.

It is truly a sweet story and one that every young child should enjoy in their early days of school.

There are several activities and resources to enhance your child's experience with Chester and The Kissing Hand.

Johnny Appleseed

John Chapman, better known to most as Johhny Appleseed, was born on this day in 1774 in Massachusetts. To celebrate, my kids and I enjoyed some of these tasty treats and read Johnny Appleseed, a book from the Folk Heroes series.

This particular Johnny Appleseed story tells about John Chapman's life as a peaceful apple seed planter. How he cared for everyone and dreamed of a land where apple trees blossomed everywhere, providing food for the hungry. He wore clothes made of sacks and a tin pot for a hat. It's been told he didn't wear shoes and travelled many miles barefoot. He was tough and friendly. Everyone liked Johnny, and many called him Friend. He created apple orchards in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Many of the trees he planted still blossom, even after all this time.

Teachers and Homeschoolers: You can find an 8 day Johnny Appleseed lesson plan here. It is geared towards K through 2nd grade, but I'm sure many of the activities could be restructured for older children as well. There are printables, book recoomendations, snack ideas, and links to even more Johnny Appleseed resources. I hope you can find at least a few ideas to implement in your classroom.