A Little This and That from Andie

Kung Hei Fat Choy! 

February 14, 2010 marks the start of the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Chinese New Year is a very old celebration, a time for repaying debts, enjoying feasts, giving “red envelopes” of lucky money to friends and relatives, and remembering ancestors.

My first Chinese New Year / Karen Katz. JE KATZ, KAREN HOLIDAY-VARIOUS Bright/vibrant collages illustrate this simple introduction to Chinese New Year.

Celebrating Chinese New Year / Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith J 394.2 HOY HOLIDAY – VARIOUS Go along with Ryan as he and his family prepare to celebrate Chinese New Year in their home and community.

Chinese New Year / Catherine Chambers. J 394.261 CHA

Lion dancer : Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year / Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low. On the Chinese New Year, six-year-old Ernie will perform his first Lion Dance. An intimate look at a Chinese household as the family shares a proud moment with Ernie. J 394.2 WAT

A gift / Yong Chen. Amy receives a gift for the Chinese New Year from her aunt and uncles who live far away in China. JE CHEN, YONG HOLIDAY – VARIOUS

Bringing in the New Year / Grace Lin. JE LIN, GRACE Tells a colorful story on how each member of the family participates in welcoming the Lunar New Year.

Happy New Year, Julie / by Megan McDonald. The first Christmas since Julie’s parents’ divorce is difficult for the whole family, but Julie finds comfort sharing the Chinese New Year traditions of her best friend, Ivy Ling, and thinking about new beginnings. JFIC AMERICAN GIRL

D is for dragon dance / by Ying Chang Compestine. JE COMPESTINE, YING From firecrackers to noodles, from red envelopes to the zodiac, young readers are introduced to the exciting traditions of the Chinese New Year.

Moonbeams, dumplings & dragon boats : a treasury of Chinese holiday tales, activities & recipes / Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz, and the Children’s Museum of Boston. J 394.26 SIM Filled with delectable recipes, hands-on family activities, and traditional tales to read aloud, this collection will inspire families everywhere to re-create the magic of Chinese holidays in their own homes.

http://www.teacherplanet.com/resource/chinesenewyear.php Great collection of fun activities and instructional how to’s including dragon crafts, paper lanterns & garlands, scavenger hunt sheets, related lesson plans, plus links to clip art & history resources

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/chinese_new_year.htm Coloring pages, crafts and activities about the Chinese New Year for kids.

http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/festival/newyear/newyear.html Explains the customs and traditions associated with the holiday. From the Chinese Culture Center.

http://pbskids.org/sagwa/games/countdown/ Easy games to help children get ready for the Chinese New Year. From the PBS program, Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat

http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/ To catch on to the right spirit of the Chinese New Year, here you will find greeting cards, history, wallpapers, history and traditions and more.

A little this and that from Andie

Winter Olympics – 2010 Vancouver

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.” Olympic Creed

Every four years the world celebrates “In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams.” And so the games begin.

Websites:

http://www.vancouver2010.com/ – Page for the 2010 Winter Olympics

http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/researchstarters/olympics/ – Scholastic Research Starter – Winter Olympics

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/specials/articles/0,28285,1963870,00.html - Time for Kids – Winter Olympics 2010

http://www.vancouver2010.com/mascot/en/meet.php – Meet the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic mascots, play games and explore!

http://abcteach.com/directory/theme_units/sports/olympics/ – A fun collection of Olympic resources and activities

http://www.printactivities.com/Theme-Printables/WinterOlympics-Printables.shtml – Whatever Winter Olympic printable you’re looking for, PrintActivities has it available for you. Mazes, word searches, coloring pages, connect the dots, and more await parents, teachers, and students.

Books:

The encyclopedia of the Winter Olympics / written by John Wukovits. J 796.98 WUK

Gus & Gertie and the lucky charms / by Joan Lowery Nixon ; pictures by Diane deGroat. Penguins Gus and Gertie take part in the Animals’ Winter Olympics. JER NIXON

Ancient Greece and the Olympics : a nonfiction companion to Hour of the Olympics / by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce ; illustrated by Sal Murdocca. SERIES: MAGIC TREE HOUSE RESEARCH

Hour of the Olympics / by Mary Pope Osborne ; illustrated by Sal Murdocca. EJF OSBORNE

The story of the Olympics / Dave Anderson. J 796.48 AND Traces the history of the Olympics from its beginning in 776 B.C. to the present and relates stories of particular events such as track and field, gymnastics, and speed skating.

Olympics! / by B.G. Hennessy ; pictures by Michael Chesworth. J 796.48
HEN Provides a simple overview of the history, preparations, training, and actual events that are part of the Olympic Games.

Figure skating for fun! / by Jen Jones. J 796.91 JON

Extreme snowboarding / by Pat Ryan. J 796.9 RYA

Hockey : a history of the fastest game on ice / Mark Stewart. J 796.962 STE

E is for extreme : an extreme sports alphabet / written by Brad Herzog ; illustrated by Melanie Rose. JE HERZOG, BRAD