What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read?" Pick #2

Kindness IS Cooler, Mrs. Ruler

By:  Margery Cuyler

Illustrated By:  Sachiko Yoshikawa

This is a terrific beginning of the year read aloud.  It's also the perfect book to take out when your students are having difficulty getting along and you need a fix, quick!  It's about a quirky teacher named Mrs. Ruler who is frustrated, one day at her students not getting along.  Raquelita is stealing a hat, David is pulling a ponytail and Anaya and her twin sister Tawana are talking to each other through story time.  "That's enough!  Too rough!" shouts Mrs. Ruler who talks in fun rhymes throughout the book.  The illustrations are bright and bold in warm colors.  The class is animated with bright eyes and wide open smiles.

Mrs. Ruler keeps her troublemakers in for recess and as a consequence has them perform five acts of kindness at home so that the students will learn how much better it feels to be nice.  In time, the plan works--even for the most tough student named David.  In this fun-filled adventure, the students in Mrs. Ruler's class end up making a bulletin board of over 100 hearts that record acts of kindness.  Mrs. Ruler's plan was extended to the whole class.  Her children marveled in the good feeling one gets from doing something nice for a friend, a family member or even a community!  The book has over 100 suggestions of age appropriate acts of kindness students can do.  It's a valuable lesson-making addition to your library for children of all ages.  As Mrs. Ruler says, "Don't forget--a slice of nice makes a mile of smile!"

Click here to get your free "all week printable" that goes along with this book.  It includes directions, a letter to send home and heart templates so that your class can celebrate random acts of kindness all year long!  Don't forget, ordering this book is a click away.  Scroll down to the bottom of my blog to find my picks from Amazon.com.