River of Dreams

1. Look up some of the other major rivers in the United States.
   
   
2. What are the similarities and differences between them and the Hudson River?
   
   
3. There are many different waterways is the U.S.  What are the major differences between the mighty rivers and the major lakes?
   
   
4. Create your own collage or diorama of one of these waterways and tell its particular story using historical facts about the waterway and the region.

1. Study Carol Thompson’s illustrations. Scooter the dog seems to be having the most fun as the storm approaches. What can you see him doing? Look at all of the pages and the cover.
   
   
2. How did the family work together to prepare for the thunder boomer? Have you ever helped your family get ready for a storm, a tornado, a  wild fire or any other fury of Mother Nature? Explain.
   
   
3. The children decide to name the little kitten who survives the storm Thunder Boomer. What other names would you suggest? Why?

Wings

1. In the story people make Ikarus feel sad by pointing at him, laughing at him and shouting mean things at him. Has anyone ever made fun of you? If so, how did it make you feel?
   
   
2. Have you heard children being teased by others because of the way they looked or because of the things they could or could not do? Explain.
   
   
3. Have you ever spoken up in support of the person being teased? 
   
   
4.  Do you know the myth of Icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun and his wings melted?  If not, ask a family member to help you locate the story in the library or on the web.

1. Go to your library and find several different stories about Amelia Bedelia to read.  Which one is your favorite?
   
   
2. Amelia Bedelia sees the world in “literal” ways; what does that mean?
   
   
3. Can you think of other phrases and words that might confuse Amelia Bedelia?  Make a list to share with others.
   
   
4. Create your own game where each person must think of a word or phrase that can be confusing such “hare & hair”, or “I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.”  The person who can come up with the funniest or silliest list can be the winner!
   
   
5. Look at some of the examples of phrases that Amelia found confusing when she was decorating her valentine cards—such as “broken hearts,” “sealed with a kiss,” and “cutie pie.”  Can you some other phrases that could just as confusing and funny? 
   
   
6. With construction paper, markers, and glitter, create your own “Amelia Bedelia silly valentines” to share with your friends and family.

The Little Prince

1. Antoine De Saint-Exupéry was a pilot in real life and, in fact, disappeared over the Mediterranean one year after the publication of this story while on a reconnaissance mission for his French air squadron. Do some research on the life of this writer and discover the many autobiographical aspects drawn from his life that are inherent in the story of the narrator/aviator in The Little Prince.
   
   
2. What do the Little Prince and the narrator think of adults? Why do they think this? Do you agree with their assessment of grown-ups?
   
   
3. The nature of these pop ups are very intricate. Which pop-up creations do you think illustrate the storyline the best? Which ones do you think need more engineering?

January's Sparrow

1. Use a map to find Marshall, Michigan.
   
   
2. What is the history of Marshall, Michigan and the Underground Railroad?
   
   
3. Research the “special” houses in Marshall that were used to hide runaway slaves.
   
   
4. When was it safe for former slaves to return to the United States?  Why was it safe?
   
   
5. Create a map and the travel routes slaves would travel from Kentucky to Michigan.
   
   
6. Calculate how many miles people would need to travel on foot to reach Michigan.
   
   
7. How many days or weeks would it take someone to walk from Kentucky to Michigan?

Yummy

1. Little Red Riding Hood is taking a basket of food to her grandmother when she meets the wolf in the forest. What kind of food do you think is in the basket? What food would you want in the basket if someone were bringing it to you?
   
   
2. The inside of the covers are both sprinkled with delightful images from the stories. Can you find: a ladybug, a pair of socks, roller skates, a worm, a yellow pillow, a bell, a golden beak, a doorknob and whiskers? Can you remember which items are found in which story?
   
   
3. What is the main problem in THE ENORMOUS TURNIP? How is it solved?

Lousy Rotten, Stinkin’ Grapes

1. Why doesn’t Fox listen to the suggestions of others?
   
   
2. What do we learn from this story?
   
   
3. What is are Aesop’s Fables?
   
   
4. Explore other fables written by Aesop.
   
   
5. What are some of the lessons learned by reading fables?
   
   
6. Create your own fable that teaches an important lesson that you would like to share with others.