Thursday, March 24, 2011

Review: Stuart Murphy's I See I Learn Series

When I was a classroom teacher, I used Stuart Murphy's MathStart books to teach math concepts to my children.  Well, Mr. Murphy is back with a new series to help children learn skills important for school and life, called the I See I Learn series.  Thanks to Charlesbridge Publishing, I was fortunate to receive two of the books in the series, for review.

Author:  Stuart J. Murphy
Review Copy Provided byCharlesbridge Publishing

About the Book:  Sometimes Percy gets upset. He scowls and stamps his feet. But when he learns to take a deep breath, count to ten, and talk about his feelings, he can calm down. When Percy's not upset, he can have fun again! 

My Thoughts:  This is a great book to use with young children and teach who deal with frustration, being grouchy, being cranky and/or being angry.  It is all about emotional skills and what a child can do to deal with those appropriately and ultimately become happy again.  Children can relate to Percy because he feels as they would when they're upset.  Through the story, Percy teaches children how to stop being upset.  The colors are vivid in the illustrations, the pictures eye catching, and the print large enough for a read - aloud to children or for older children to read themselves.

I can see this book being used in classrooms and/or counselor's offices with children 2-7.  It is recommended for 2-5, but I think older children, maybe up to 2nd grade would enjoy it if used as a read - aloud to spark discussion.  One of the things I love about Stuart Murphy's books is the discussion questions that he adds at the end.  You won't have to come up with questions on your own, because they are provided for you.

Author:  Stuart J. Murphy
Review Copy Provided by:  Charlesbridge Publishing

About the Book:  Camille loves to build sand forts at the beach. But it's hard to build a big fort alone. Camille and her friends make a plan. They find that they can get more done--and have more fun--when they work together.  

My Thoughts:  Where Percy dealt with emotional skills in children, Camille's Team deals with social skills.  It teaches children how to work together.  There's even a plan that children can follow:  make a plan, work together, and share the fun.  In Stuart Murphy fashion, the pictures are vivid and eye catching, exactly what children like to see.

Again, there are discussion questions that lend themselves to opening up a classroom discussion or even a discussion with your young son or daughter.  This is a great series to help young children learn important life skills!

2 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Those books look great! The covers are very appealing and inviting and it sounds like they cover great topics.

Brimful Curiosities said...

Yes, they do sound like they would be perfect for the school principal to use during her monthly chats about feelings and behavior issues.

 
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