Introducing this *Final Friday of 2017* special read aloud featured  in this week’s MaiStoryBook Library Collection:

“Franklin’s Flying Bookshop” by Jen Campbell and Katie Harnett

Book Synopsis and Review

Franklin the dragon loves to read. Through books, Franklin can become whatever and whomever he wants to be~ a bandmaster and songwriter, a professional acrobat and ringmaster, a scientist exploring the stars, or a knight at King Arthur’s round table. Franklin’s home is a library cave of books~a chamber of knowledge and adventure~ with books and comics scaling the walls *even the door is made from a swinging bookshelf*. Franklin wants nothing more than to share his love for reading and his reading adventures with others, and while he reads aloud to the mice, bat, and spider friends dwelling with him in his nook, whenever Franklin ventures out of his home into the village, everyone he meets runs away in fright~ judging Franklin by his outward appearance. That is, until Franklin meets *Luna* a special friend who shares his passion for imagination and reading adventures. Together, Franklin and Luna hatch an epic plan to share their favorite stories with those around them, hoping to inspire others to join in and discover the joys and wonders of reading!

For this last Friday read aloud of the year, I chose this special book that truly captures how I feel about books, and how I hope you feel about books too! I thought it would be the perfect way to end the year, to remind us about the importance and wonders of reading! My goal is to share some of my favorite books with all of you, and to share my love for reading~ and this book, *Franklin’s Flying Bookshop* is all about a little girl and her dragon friend who hatch a plan to share all of their favorite stories with the world! It’s a magical tale, with gorgeous illustrations and a meaningful message about the thrilling adventures tucked away in books, the power of reading and the knowledge it brings, and the ability of reading to transport you beyond boundaries and into your wildest dreams!

Vocabulary List

• Village (p. 5) a place where people live that’s like a really small town in the countryside
• Trapeze (p. 7) a type of swing where you hold onto and hang from a bar between two ropes, people in the circus use them a lot
• Quaking (p. 9) shaking
• Croquet (p. 14) a game played on the grass where you use a mallet, or stick, to hit wooden colored balls between mini goal posts
• Hoist (p. 19) lift something with a rope

Themes/Main ideas

• The Magic of Stories and the Power of Reading: Stories can transport you to adventures beyond your imaginations. Reading develops knowledge, imagination, and skill.
• Friendship: True friends support you and the things you love and do.

YouTube Video: Guided Shared-Reading Read Aloud Example

Example of a shared-reading, interactive Read Aloud of “Franklin’s Flying Bookshop” – how to subtly introduce the vocabulary list words within the text, ask guided questions, and spark conversation!

*~Check it Out~*

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By the Light of a Thousand Fireflies + *Mai* StoryBook Crafts

Happy Last Friday of 2017!! Can you believe it?! It’s already the end of the year~ and what a wild, fun, memorable year it’s been! Let’s take a moment and think about what was one really special thing about this year 2017, that you remember most? Do you have one in  mind?  Well, for me, one definitely important memory of 2017 was starting MaiStoryBook and being able to create all of these interactive read alouds and crafts with and for all of you! Thank you for reading along with me and exploring all of the wonderful features and aspects of books with MaiStoryBook! I’m excited to start a new year with all of you, with a bunch of new books and read alouds! But before that~ we have this special craft of the week. One of the lines in this week’s story *Franklin’s Flying Bookshop *that truly stood out to me was *and he read by the light of a thousand fireflies.* That description created such a magical image in my mind, I just had to find a way to bring that mystique to life! Thus, prepare for an afternoon of imagination, *reading*, and trails of glitter, sparkles, and *firefly* sprinkles!

Materials for *By the Light of a Thousand Fireflies*

• 2 sheets of plain white paper
• Black paint
• Paintbrush
• Gold, white, silver, sequins/ glitter
• Glitter glue
• White/gold pom poms
• Photo of child reading a book
• Glue

Materials for *Mai* Own Story Book

• 1 sheet of colored paper
• 2-4 sheets of pain white paper (depends on how many pages you want)
• Markers
• Stapler

Directions for *By the Light of a Thousand Fireflies*

• Glue the photo onto one sheet of white paper, and cut it out, leaving a *glowing* border of white around the photo. Set it aside.
• Paint the other sheet of white paper completely black.
• While the paint is still wet, glue/stick the photo onto the bottom middle of the paper.

• Before the black paint dries, sprinkle the glitter and sequins on the black paint,  surrounding the photo.
• Use the glitter glue to add dots and swirls, and to glue on the pom poms.

• Use the glitter glue to add rays of light, or patterns around your photo.
• Have fun with the glitter and sparkles~ and surround yourself with *the light of a thousand fireflies*

Directions for *Mai Own Story Book*

• Stack the sheets of white paper, and trim the sides so that they are smaller than the colored paper. Fold them in half.
• Fold the colored paper in half, and insert the folded white sheets in the middle.

• Staple the fold to create the binding for your book.
• Use the markers to add the title, your name for the author and illustrator, and to add illustrations and the story

Enjoy Your Firefly and Story Book Crafts!

• Display your *By the Light of a Thousand Fireflies* Photo Craft in your room or in the house, to remind yourself and others of the magic and wonders of reading!
• Share the Photo craft and explain the scene from *Franklin’s Flying Bookshop*~ use it to launch a retelling of the story.
• Create your very own story~ illustrated and written by you!
• Share your story with others, and carry it along with you to have your own mini traveling bookshop!

*~Overall, have fun creating your own *Thousand Firefly and Story Book Crafts*, and I hope you and your little ones enjoy these sparkling, magical, and creative crafts! Please comment below  – tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary  – or post on FaceBook to share your photos of your own *Firefly Photos and Story Book creations*  and your own reading adventures! I’d love to hear from you!~*

*Check Back on Next Friday for our New Reading Adventure*

*~Until next time, Happy Reading~*