Living Things

The kids are learning about living and nonliving things. It's a pretty simple concept in general... by first grade definition a living thing needs food, water, and shelter to survive; they're also able to change/grow and reproduce (if you ever want an interesting challenge, try to introduce the concept of reproducing to a group of first graders and see what colorful conversations can come about... at one point I actually had to cut off a child and redirect back to a less detailed explanation).

During our wrap-up for the day, one child raised their hand and asked, "Is the Earth a living thing?" What a great question!! The kids were pretty divided as to their beliefs so we spent some time discussing it. Some kids insisted that the energy from sunlight qualified as food (although not entirely accurate, I thought it was a great addition to the conversation); many thought that rain proved that it needed water; most agreed that the Earth needs space/shelter (i.e the solar system) and also that the earth constantly changes. Ultimately we decided that the Earth is not actually living. The main catalysis in their decision was that the earth doesn't make baby-Earths. Instead of being a living thing, we decided that the Earth supports living things by giving them what they need to survive. I was super excited at how in-depth this conversation was - it was awesome to listen to them work it out!

Shift Happens

Teaching 101: Expect the Unexpected

At the end of each day, I sign student's planners with their behavior grade for the day and call them to get their things ready to go. After calling each student, I sit down to read a chapter book (currently we're reading One Dark and Scary Night by Bill Cosby - the kids love Little Bill and it goes perfectly with the writing strategies we're talking about right now). On Wednesday, the following conversation ensued with a little girl in my class (let's call her Aaliyah):

me: *reading from the book*

Aaliyah: "Teacher, my sister put an egg in my backpack!"

me: *not really registering what she just said* "Aaliyah, please raise your hand or say excuse me before you interrupt the story."

Aaliyah: "But my sister put an egg in my backpack!" *holding open the front pocket of her backpack for me to see the RAW EGG THAT HAS BEEN SMASHED AND IS NOW A GOOEY-NASTY MESS*

me: "WHA??? Why would your sister do that?"

Aaliyah: "She was mad at me because my dad took me to the store, but made her stay home."

At that point I'm thinking that her dad must have let her buy a pony or something equally amazing at the store - what else would cause such a spiteful reaction from her sister? How does a child even come up with such a horrible idea?!?! A raw egg in my sister's backpack would never, ever, have crossed my mind!!!!! And if it had, I wouldn't have made it to see my next birthday.

The egg had been in there ALL day so it dripped in her cubby and left streaks on the floor from where she put the backpack down to put stuff up. We got the egg cleaned up (the whole while I'm seeing headlines flash through my mind for next week's newspaper, "Salmonella outbreak at local elementary school"). Then I had her take her planner back out so I could write a note to her parents. I told them (and her) that the backpack needs to be washed before it comes back to school. The next day she came without the backpack, but on Friday it returned and while she was getting ready to go she says, "Teacher I washed my backpack, but it still smells like my brother's feet."

So, yeah, expect the unexpected.

The One Where My Head Spins

As you may have noticed, I've been MIA on Kook Tales since school started. There's a reason for this... I technically have 2 part time jobs along with my full-time teaching job. In addition to that, I'm also taking part in a book study and multiple training opportunities. All of that combined means that I hardly have time to sleep, much less blog. I hope to have things settle out a bit shortly so hang in there... I'll be back eventually!

I need to wake up at what time?

This past week was suppose to be my first full week of vacation, instead it was spent sitting in a conference. Needless to say when I learned that I'd be there, I was less than thrilled (I actually had to wake up EARLIER than I would have for school). As it turns out, however, it was quite an inspirational week. The presentations were motivating, the content was tangible and the presenters were knowledgeable. Overall it was worth the sacrifice.

Some non-academic highlights from the week:

• Upon arrival on Day 1 we found baskets of supplies on each table. As each table explored their new-found basket of fun, you could hear gasps and squeals all over the room. This was in response to the new packaging design for Post-its. Instead of the "gum-wrapper" opening style, they now have a perforated line down the middle and you simply bend the pack which rips the plastic along the perforation. While this may not sound thrilling to you... we teachers were abuzz with excitement!
  
• Don't you just love swag?! I got free books(!), a lunch box, a blanket (don't ask... they had something written up about how teachers were like blankets), a flash drive along with some random office supplies, and a bag to carry it all. Score!
  
• Most teaching conferences don't serve lunch, and if they do it usually leaves much to be desired. This conference not only served lunch, but also breakfast... and it was delicious (and also vegetarian friendly). I was beyond spoiled for the entire week!! My first day home, I tried to convince Tim that I needed my breakfast buffet pronto and lunch should be served promptly at 11:15. He handed me a PB&J sandwich and mumbled something under his breath.

Schools out for Summer

Today is my first day of summer break - YAY! As every teacher knows, the past couple weeks have been chocked full of busyness in preperation for this day. Last I spoke of school, I was filling in for a first grade teacher until she came back from medical leave. When that happened back in mid-March, I was moved to a safety-net position. This means that I was working with small-groups of students ranging from first grade to fourth grade that were in danger of being retained. My goal was to ramp them up enough to pass and be successful next year. The good news is that all but one was able to move on to the next grade-level and as for the one who stayed back, I really think that was the best decision for that child. Having taught mostly first grade before this year, it was really an interesting experience to see such a broad range of the elementary school years. I feel like every primary teacher should have the opportunity to work with various grade levels - it gives you a better perspective of where students are going and what is expected of them down the line. Now this being said, I always thought that I'd *love* dealing with small groups all day instead of a whole class. The reality of it was slightly different however. It's just not the same as having your own little 'family' of students that you spend all day with. Right now I'm sooo excited to return to first grade next year. I have so many ideas swimming around my head - I can't wait!! :o) I'm relaxing for the rest of this week and then I'm signed up for a workshop all next week. After that, my true summer will begin!!!

You're Appreciated...

I received the following poem this week (accompanied by a swag bag of goodies!). I thought it was cute so I wanted to share it with all the other teachers out there:

When the days are long and the hours drag by,
When the clock seems stuck and time won't fly...

When classes are loud and phones keep paging,
When doors keep slamming and sharpeners are raging...

When the paper piles high and work is steep,
When desks are covered with stacks too deep...

When the a.c. won't work and rooms get warm,
When recess is scorching and sweat beads form...

When the kids are crazed and they've lost their minds,
When they fuss and they fight and they constantly whine...

When even our peers seem at wits' end,
When all of our feelings need to mend...

When just one more day seems way too tough,
When we're ready to say that we've had enough...

You still keep going and you don't give in,
You're focused and tireless and determined to win...

Please know that you're viewed with respect and awe,
Even when it's unspoken, you're admired by all...

For all that you do and for all that you are,
You're truly appreciated as a treasured star!

I didn't think it'd happen quite this fast...

I was activated to start subbing last week and called my old principal to let her know I was available - she put me to work the very next day! I've said before that going into my old school is like going home and its so true. I walked into the building to a barrage of hugs and smiles. There are, of course, many new faces but I knew I was home.

It turns out the same day I started, they found out that the teacher I was subbing for will be out indefinitely on medical leave. She asked if I could fill in until she gets back and, of course, I agreed! After a rocky first day (the teacher is on short-term disability right now and left rather abruptly so there were no sub plans, it took a little while to figure out the schedule & routines for her class), but I found my grove again on the second day and things went quite smoothly. By Friday, I was feeling very sure that I wanted my own classroom again so I talked to the principal first thing that morning. She was quite happy to hear this! On the spot, she basically offered me a job to begin immediately. After talking with Tim on the phone, I accepted and called HR to find out what needed to be done. She came into class about 8:30 that morning and let me know that she had also called HR and that I was on the "fast-track" to get my paperwork through district. As soon as the paperwork is cleared, I'll be back again as a full-time teacher. Whoa!! :o)

So begins another chapter of our lives

I haven't been posting for the past few weeks for many reasons, one of which is that we've been incredibly busy but another is that I've been a little preoccupied... I've found myself thinking about teaching a lot recently. It has been in the back of my mind for a while now, but the final straw happened when talking with some former co-workers, I found that I was slightly jealous of their classroom stories & was wishing that I was back in the classroom. At that point, I knew I had to talk to Tim. I sat him down a couple weeks ago for "the talk." I basically told him that while I *love* working for his business, I still miss teaching. I proposed a few different ideas which basically consisted of me continuing to work with his business in various ways but also getting back in the classroom. My thoughts about teaching are pretty idealized right now so I'm thinking I need a little reminder before jumping back in wholeheartedly. We've decided that I'm going to Sub until the end of the school year and then decide from there what we want to do, but most likely I'll be returning to the classroom next year. Needless to say, I'm quite excited!

The Art of Science

After a couple years in the classroom, I attended a in-depth, week-long seminar on 'Teaching with the Brain in Mind' (if you're a teacher, or just interested in the brain, Eric Jensen is awesome!). During that week, I developed a greater love for teaching than ever before - and that says a lot!

I processed my experiences into a few guidelines that made my job much easier on a daily basis. As a first grade teacher, I got the incredible opportunity of teaching students *all* the subjects. That being said, I think every teacher has a favorite subject, one that they really look forward to during the day. Before that year, I had always considered myself a literacy teacher first and foremost. After all, this was first grade, the five components of reading were woven into pretty much everything we did. The following year, I kept up with my beloved literacy instruction (and all the other subjects as well), but also became very passionate about teaching science. Word spread quickly around school that the first graders in Room 41 were learning and loving science (a subject that although represented in the Sunshine State Standards, is not on first grade report cards and therefore often overlooked). In the hallways I was known as 'The Butterfly Lady'. We even had several other classes visit our room to see what kind of crazy experiments we had going on (the kids thought it was super-cool when a class of fourth graders walked in one day during a lesson). The other first grade teachers approached me to see if I wanted to departmentalize the following year so that I would be teaching science to all the first grade students. This was an exciting proposition, but I wasn't quite ready to give up the other subjects & my own little 'family' of students.

So all of this is really just to tell you about The Bubble Artist aka Keith Michael Johnson (update, you can also check him out here). If I were still in the classroom, I would be doing anything and everything I could (asking for donations, writing grants, submitting to Donor's Choose) to get this guy to do a presentation!

He uses a great childhood love (bubbles!) to explain things like the states of matter, force & pressure, etc. I'm a firm believer that children can grasp most concepts quite accurately without having it presented to them like watered-down-mush. In first grade materials, it's sometimes hard to wade through the mush & find meaningful lessons. Keith's presentation, however, is both meaningful & developmentally appropriate. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, he follows every rule of 'Teaching with the Brain in Mind'. He is SO engaging and fun that students are guaranteed to have a fantastic time... and also walk away with a better understanding of science concepts.

I mention this now, even though the man has been doing these presentations since I was 5 years old, because he's been everywhere I turn lately. First he appeared in one of my favorite magazines last summer. Then this past Sunday, I happened to catch him on the Discovery Channel. I tip my hat to this man, not only did he make a lifetime career out of doing something he loved... he also brings out that passion in his audience. That, I believe, is the mark of a great teacher.

More videos available here.

How I know that I live in the South

DCPS made it on Dentention Slip this week with an on-going, controversial proposal to change the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest High School (the school board will be voting on Nov. 3rd at 6:00 p.m. and the public will have a chance to voice their opinions, but arrive early if you want to speak!!!).

The Story:
It all started two years ago when, Steven Stoll, a professor of sociology at FCCJ presented research on Forrest to the School Board. In his words, "This guy owned and sold human beings and was one of the most successful slave traders in America. During the Civil War, he butchered and executed black soldiers in cold blood. And after the Civil War, he became the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and instituted segregation in the south." Many in support of keeping the name cite both history & heritage as their main reasons for doing so. Others question if it will lead to changing the names of other historically-referenced schools. (Source)

Here's how I see this:
Our history is not without flaws. Those making decisions in the 1950s (when Forrest High was founded) were both mere-humans as well as a product of their society and times. Keep in mind that fewer than one in five African Americans received a high school diploma in the 1950s. Today the make-up of Forrest High includes: 4% Asian, 54% Black, 8% Hispanic, 4% Mixed and 29% White. While many see the naming issue as trivial, I don't believe that it is. I've written before about the implicit racism that exists in our society. I believe that something is very wrong when the majority of students attending this school walk by a statue of a man that believed they were property to be bought & sold.

File this under BAD IDEA

"A Texas school district will let teachers bring guns to class this fall, the district's superintendent said on Friday, in what experts said appeared to be a first in the United States." (Reuters)

This, to me, is stupidity at it's finest. I could go on for hours telling you why I think this is a bad idea.... why it makes me (both as a former teacher & a general member of society) cringe, but instead I want to offer a LOGICAL SOLUTION. According to the superintendent of Harrold Independent School District, the school is about a half-hour's drive from the nearest Sheriff's office. They worry this makes them an easy target.

Wouldn't a School Resource Officer be a better idea? My high school had two... my elementary & middle schools each had one respectively.

A full-time, on-campus, crisis-trained, armed... police officer.

Do they not have School Resource Officers in Texas?

Lucky Me

I received the following message from a former co-worker: "Your kiddos keep asking about you...they want you to visit. ______ actually said that since you aren't teaching, you shouldn't be busy and you have to come visit."

It's good to be loved!!! :o) I went into school yesterday for a visit and I think I was just as excited as the kids (keep in mind that this is their last week)! It was like going home... so many familiar faces & sights. It was really great to see both teachers & students alike. I'm reminded of that little part of me that misses teaching, although I absolutely *love* the work I do now. On the other hand, it also reminds me how easy it is drop in for a few hours & the volunteer coordinator (a good friend of mine) was quick to point out that she could really put me to work with some struggling readers. I now have plans to volunteer/mentor next year. Luckily, my boss (ahem... Tim) fully supports this. Can I just say how lucky I feel in my life right now. I have previously unimaginable levels of flexibility in making life exactly the way I want it to be.

Crusty Pizzamouth

In honor of going in to school...
In the children's book Captain Underpants And the Perilous Plot Professor Poopypants by Dave Pilkey, Professor Pippy P. Poopypants wants to share his brilliant inventions with everyone & help the world. His problem, however is that everyone laughs at his name & doesn't take his inventions seriously. Professor Poopypants finally gets fed up & comes up with a plan to force the world to change their names so that everyone will have a silly name. This way no one will make fun of each other.

Following Professor Poopypants' name-changing system, my name is... Crusty Pizzamouth

Lovely. Really.

You can find you're name here.

Does a Responsible Politician Even Exist?

As fresh-faced as I am to the world of politics, my faith in both the U.S. political system & American voters has been utterly decimated... time & time again.

On January 29, 2008, Floridians voted on Amendment 1, a constitutional amendment focusing mainly on cutting state property taxes. This coincided with Florida's presidential primary (the primary where the Democratic National Committee striped our delegates because our state voted out of turn). Amendment 1 passed 64.4% in favor and 35.6% opposed.

I was against this amendment. Deeply, emotionally against it.

I, like everyone else, would love to pay less money to taxes. I know the condition of the real estate market is causing significant troubles, & what family doesn't need that extra little bit of money in their pocket? Under more careful consideration, however, it was clear the negative effects would outweigh the benefits. I am a teacher at heart & I knew back in January what was going to happen...

Florida's revenue comes almost exclusively from tourism/sales taxes & property taxes. Those taxes largely fund statewide services such as schools, libraries, police/fire/emergency services, road care, child care, health care, etc.

Can we look at this rationally for a second?

We're cutting property taxes, a major source of funding for our state's basic functioning. We are also not expecting huge tourism in the near future (notice the cost of gas recently?). What does this leave us with? A government without enough funding to provide many basic needs for it's citizens.

Case in point... although leading up to the primary election, it was *promised* that Amendment 1 WOULD NOT affect education funds. The Superintendent of DCPS just released the following:

To parents, students, teachers, principals, staff and citizens of Duval County:

As we approach the end of the school year, I would like to take a moment to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication to your students’ education and to Duval County Public Schools.

We are going to be entering the next school year with a budget shortfall of nearly $70 million due to the sales tax revenue shortfall, Amendment 1 and fixed cost increases. However, we are doing everything we can to make sure that the impact to our students is minimal.

Although the Legislature allowed us flexibility in using capital money for operating, the $70 million shortfall to next year’s budget could potentially cause a reduction in salary and benefits for teachers and administrative staff, reduction in programs and the cutback of employees.

Unfortunately the state did not provide us with the sufficient funds to effectively run a large urban school district. Florida was ranked at the bottom of a 2006 census bureau report on public education finances, and there is no reason to believe that we are not there now.

District officials will remain steadfast in our dedication to providing quality education to all of our students, and we will continue to ensure that Duval County students receive all of the proper tools and training they need to succeed.

Thanks again for all that you do, and for your continued support of Duval County Public Schools.

Ed Pratt-Dannals Superintendent

Let your voice be heard, contact the Duval Legislative Delegation.

No TV for a Week!

"So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
go throw your TV set away,
in it's place you can install
a lovely bookshelf on the wall."
~Charlie & the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

April 21 to 27 is 'TV Turnoff Week'. As a teacher, I both participated & encouraged my students to do the same. Keep in mind the average American watches 1,672 hours of TV a year. Maybe it'll lead to new habits, maybe it won't, but taking a break can't be anything but good, right?

The inevitable question that 'no TV' brings up is boredom. I have a book I've been pretty excited about that might actually make it off my shelf this week! And if I get through earlier, I'm headed to the library! :o) I know that kids aren't like me (i.e. they can't read in every second of their free time & be happy) so there's some great low/no cost ideas here, here, here & here and some good scavenger hunts here. And if all else fails... let 'em get their technology-fix on Starfall :o)

Donor's Choose

This is up there on my list of worthy causes. I know the struggles of being responsible for preparing meaningful lessons on a daily basis while in the post-NCLB classroom. Unless you're in a "F" school (& sometimes even when you are) materials are often out of reach due to finances. This has been my personal experience, anyhow...

Teachers are then left with options:
#1. Pay for the supplies out of their pocket.
#2. Master the skill of writing grants in their "free time" & hope for funding... often times waiting for months.
#3. Forgo the materials & do without... possibly hindering students' learning.

Well, there's a new option out there that not as many people know about. (I must confess that if I were still in the classroom, I would be tempted to hoard this nugget of information without sharing).

DonorsChoose.org allows teachers to sign up & request their most needed supplies. Then donors browse through projects & decide which ones they'd like to donate to. You can search for local schools or you can search for particular categories (narrowing it down by things like... grade level, academic subject, poverty level, special education, technology, etc).

I was *highly disappointed* when I could not find ANY schools near Jacksonville on the website, & I immediately set out contacting my old teaching buddies! IF YOU'RE A TEACHER, GET UP THERE!! If you know a teacher, tell them about it!

You may also consider donating... it's quite a seamless system. Following a donation, you receive a thank you packet from both the organization & the teacher/students! It details exactly how your donation was spent & it's impact on the class... all information is verified from the bottom-up.... by the teacher, the school, Donor's Choose, & the government (where necessary). They send the teacher the requested supplies (i.e. not the check) so you know the money is being used as intended.

Since I didn't find anyone local, I decided to try to find a classroom similar to my own. I found a Kindergarten class that sounded somewhat similar to my methodologies. I got a lovely letter in response from the teacher & check out the response from a couple of the kids below... the entire class wrote us (& it wasn't photocopies of the kids' writing... those were real pencil smudges!)

It's Just so True...

You Know You're a Teacher When:

1. You know that secretaries and custodians run the school.
2. You find yourself telling your friends things like “Thank you for sharing.” or “Was that a good choice or a bad choice?”
   
3. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.
4. You can hear 25 voices behind you... and you automatically know exactly which one belongs to the child who is out of line.
5. You point out misspelled words to managers (at restaurants, stores, etc).
6. You get a secret thrill out of laminating.
   
7. You can maintain a straight face in almost any situation, but laugh uncontrollably when people refer to the staff room as a ‘lounge.’
8. You believe the 'lounge' should be equipped with a margarita machine.
9. You have programmed yourself to say ‘sweetie’ instead of #@?!!*@?
10. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and resource.
11. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes (including washing your hands).
12. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.
13. You have graduate credits from multiple universities from all the conferences and workshops you’ve attended.
14. Help the next person who says to you, "Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off." or “Work must be like playtime for you.”
15. Your spouse starts mentioning to other people how hard teachers work.
16. You call your children/pets by your students’ names instead of their own.
17. You tell your spouse every move you make such as, “I’m going to the bathroom and I’ll be right back…okay?”
18. You have no time for a life from August to June.
19. You think of weekends as grading time & vacation as planning time.
20. You feel the urge to correct the behavior of children you don’t know when out in public.
21. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
22. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall anyone who says, "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."
23. Your profession has been slammed by people who would never dream of doing your job.
24. You think caffeine should be available intravenously.
25. You spend more money on things for your classroom than you do on yourself.
26. You walk into a store and hear "It's Ms./Mr. _________" and you know you've been spotted.
27. You can carry on conversations with fellow teachers during lectures without the presenter ever noticing.
28. Your hands are always covered in marker & your clothes are dirty/smudged at the waist.
29. You wear stickers proudly.
30. Your ‘brief case’ is a cart with wheels.
31. You say everything twice…or three times. Then you ask, “Does everyone understand?”
32. You enforce rules about where people may put their feet.
33. Your pencil doubles as a hair accessory.
34. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer.
35. You raise your hand when the server asks if anyone would like water.
36. You have a hard time choosing a name for your own child that doesn’t have some sort of association with a student.
37. You have no qualms about going in the boys’ bathroom unannounced.
38. While back to school shopping, both parents & the cashier correctly pin you as a teacher (because you have class sets of everything).
39. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.
40. You understand that you teach students, not subjects.
    

My New Nest

A while back when I told my mom that I had "taken care" of my teaching stuff, she assumed I had thrown/given it all away. To this I replied, "Your daughter?" I am a squirrel after all, and I think know I got that from my mom. :o)

What I had done was take the huge piles from various places around our house & consolidated them into one easily accessible, super organized closet! The entire children's library in the dining room? No longer there. The gigantic pile of bean bags, pocket charts, & empty bins in the garage? Gone. The mountain of papers, posters & charts under the stairs? Kaput. All of it is neatly stacked, boxed, & organized in my new nest!

The entrance.


It's in a closet & that's a lot of stuff, but it fits...
*with* room to walk in & turn around!


Standing back & looking at all this makes me realize
how much time, money & energy was put into teaching.
If you know a teacher, give 'em a hug!


See that empty square above? I offloaded some things on my sister for her Play Therapy sessions. Not to worry though... I've filled it with a stack of extra bins & baskets that were left over. Can you believe I had more left over after putting everything away??


I have twenty-six of the yellow baskets alone.


All my supplies are where I can get to them
at the drop of a dime if needed. Perfection.


Notice the used crayons that have been collected
through the years... I use those to color homemade candles! :o)


This is the professional development nook...
teacher-books are no longer stored in my bedroom!!


These books are very special to me... my grandfather used them learning to read. The copyrights are all in the 1920s.


The green apron above was my guided reading apron... I wore it everyday while meeting with my guided reading groups. It was a visual reminder that I was with a small group (i.e. not to be interrupted unless there's an emergency). It was very effective I might add!


The blue basket on the right is filled with 'Whisper Phones' made from PVC piping. Tim made me an *entire class set* for Christmas one year!!! They improve fluency & I'm going to be honest, most first graders don't enter the classroom with the ability to read silently.... these help a lot!!! I also used those cheap plastic microphones as a confidence booster for kids that needed a little more acoustics.


My parrot puppet is my favorite (it even sings)!! On the right... I took *mounds & mounds* of papers, separated them by subject, & neatly filed them into these four bins. It took two full days!!


These are just two of my book bins... I have SO MANY CHILDRENS' BOOKS! I daresay that I might just have one of *the best* personal collections out there... definitely locally anyway.


On the right... word/letter frames made from fly swatters.
These & pointers are a great tool for
building print awareness, & they're good for motivation too!
Motivation is 7/10 of the puzzle, if you ask me.


I might have gone a little overboard with pictures...
but you have to realize how much work this was!!
I feel *so good* now that it's all in one place.

Diary of a Worm

Inspired by our slimy, squirmy garden friends...

I'd like to share one of my *most favorite* children's books- Diary of a Worm written by Doreen Cronin & illustrated by Harry Bliss. This is a hysterical picture book that follows life from the perspective of a young baseball-capped earthworm.

Worm lives with his parents, plays with his friends, & even goes to school. But unlike you... he never has to take a bath or brush his teeth, he gets to eat his homework, he can't do the hokey poky or chew gum, and he flunks the school 'vacuum' drill. The illustrations are wonderfully detailed & colorful! This is one of those book that is actually funny for the adult too, & the vignettes tell facts about earthworms and their behavior. You can also read about Worm's friends, Spider and Fly.