Chatting About Books:
Recommendations for Young Readers

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Episode 17—Celebrate Life

Book Chat

• On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier (Harcourt, 1991)

“On the day you were born the Earth turned, the Moon pulled, the Sun flared…”

Share and celebrate the miraculous entrance of your child into the world with this picture book that is both written and illustrated by Debra Frasier. Children are sure to feel amazed at all the workings of the Earth. This book makes a nice read aloud for younger children and a springboard for scientific exploration into the Earth for older children. Debra adds information on migration, tides, phases of the moon and more at the back of the book.
Best for ages 4–8

• A Birthday Cake is No Ordinary Cake by Debra Frasier (Harcourt, 2006)

“Let’s light a candle for each time you’ve circled the sun. We’ll sing. You’ll wish. Then…we’ll cut the cake.”

Debra Frasier illustrates that a birthday cake is truly no ordinary cake. From birthday to birthday a lot happens on the Earth – seasons change, the Earth orbits the sun, and rotates through 365 days and nights. Children will have fun with the idea that a birthday cake includes such extraordinary ingredients as the song of a robin, twelve full moons, the shade of trees, and a fire’s crackle.
Best for ages 4–8

Cookies and Milk
Emily chats with Mrs. Phillips, Cole, and Jeremy about The Birthday Box Project, a service project described on Debra Frasier’s website as an extension of her book A Birthday Cake is No Ordinary Cake. Mrs. Phillips describes the project, how her class responded to the project, and tips for others who want to give this project a try.

About the Host

Emily Manning started teaching first grade in 1999 and is now a reading intervention teacher for third- through fifth-graders. Emily’s passion is reading; she enjoys the challenge each year of finding books that will spark the love of reading in her students. Emily’s favorite books are the ones kids ask to read over and over — the ones that are worn out from so many readings, complete with wrinkled pages and loose bindings.

These include

• Bubba the Cowboy Prince by Helen Ketteman (Scholastic, 1997)
• Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (Yearling, 2001)
• The Jazz Fly by Matthew Gollub (Tortuga, 2000)
• The Magical, Marvelous, Mystical Coat by Catherine Ann Cullen (Little, Brown, 2001)
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (Puffin, 2004)