Join us for the 10th anniversary of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record®, a global campaign that generates public support for high-quality early learning and highlights the importance of building children’s vocabulary and love for reading. On October 22, 2015 children and adults worldwide will take action by participating in the world’s largest shared reading experience.
Each year, Jumpstart selects one children’s book as the catalyst for Read for the Record. This year’s campaign book, Not Norman: A Goldfish Story, written by Kelly Bennett and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones, is a humorous tale about a child who finds a new friend in an unexpected place. With vivid illustrations and expressive language, the story is sure to engage children and adults of all ages. Help us break the world reading record (again!) for the most people reading the same book on the same day.
OVERVIEW
Norman the goldfish isn’t what this little boy had in mind. He wanted a different kind of pet — one that could run and catch, or chase string and climb trees, a soft furry pet to sleep on his bed at night. Definitely not Norman. But when he tries to trade Norman for a "good pet," things don’t go as he planned. Could it be that Norman is a better pet than he thought? With wry humor and lighthearted affection, author Kelly Bennett and illustrator Noah Z. Jones tell an unexpected — and positively fishy — tale about finding the good in something you didn’t know
you wanted.
you wanted.
ACTIVITIES
- Caring for Critters:
Children learn best when they use the knowledge they already have about something and connect it to new information. Consider providing a variety of books about veterinary offices or owning a pet to help children learn new things about animals and pets.
- Full of Feelings:
Boost children’s comprehension by recalling scenes from the book and discussing a character’s feelings. For example, you could say, “I remember this part. The boy was disappointed because he wanted a pet that could run and chase strings.” Children will follow your lead as they recall events from the story as well.
- Pick a Perfect Pet:
Look at a non-fiction book about animals or create additional picture cards based on the animals you know children are interested in. Encourage their attempts at writing, even if it just looks like lines. When in doubt, ask the expert! “That’s your writing, you know what it says. Can you read it to me?”
