Next week is Dr. Seuss’ birthday! Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in 1904 so this year would be his 110th birthday! As a child he liked to draw. As a child Theodor enjoyed drawing. After he graduated from high school and from college he used his skills to sell cartoons. He was also hired to illustrate advertisements.

In 1937 Dr. Seuss wrote To Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street. It was the first of over 60 books he wrote. More than forty were written and illustrated by Geisel for children. His books written with poetic patterns and rhymes began a new trend in literature. His books were fun to read and many had simple words that helped students learn to read.

It is true that Geisel was challenged to write a book using fewer than 50 words. The result is one of our favorites: Green Eggs and Ham!

Can you write a story inspired by the words of Dr. Seuss? You can either write a story only with the words from one of the books or write a story using some of the words you really like! Write your story and draw a picture

2014 Caldecott and Newbery Winners

This year's Newbery Medal Award book is "Flora & Ulysses" by Kate DiCamillo 

The story begins with a vacuum cleaner. And a squirrel. Or, to be more precise, a squirrel who gets sucked into a Ulysses Super Suction wielded by Flora’s neighbor, Mrs. Tickham. The rather hairless squirrel that is spit out is not the same one that went in. That squirrel had only one thought: “I’m hungry.” After Flora performs CPR, the rescued squirrel, newly named Ulysses, is still hungry, but now he has many thoughts in his head. Foremost is his consideration of Flora’s suggestion that perhaps he is a superhero like The Amazing Incandesto, whose comic-book adventures Flora read with her father.  Since Flora’s father and mother have split up, Flora has become a confirmed and defiant cynic. Yet it is hard to remain a cynic while one’s heart is opening to a squirrel who can type (“Squirtl. I am . . . born anew”), who can fly, and who adores Flora.

Brian Ploca's "Locomotive" was awarded the 2014 Caldecott Medal

This story is a breathtaking look at a family’s 1869 journey from Omaha to Sacramento via the newly completed Transcontinental Railroad. Almost 150 years ago-just after the Civil War, was the completion of the transcontinental railway