Show and Tell and Teacher Book Talk Tuesday

As you are reading this blog post, please think of me working in my classroom, readying it for my kiddos to arrive next week. Tomorrow begins the first of four days of professional development and inservice... sigh! Meanwhile, let's get to all of the Tuesday fun!

First up to share with you... 

My house is being painted! YAY! It's been seventeen years since last the old homestead had a fresh coat. Next month's Show and Tell should have the finished product.

Next is all the fun stay-cation activities that I've been doing these final days of freedom.

Feeding the fish at the Pymatuning Spillway. 

I kid you not... there are so many fish that the local ducks can walk on their backs.

Old ladies' luncheons with new recipes to share. This is what I made for the last luncheon: Cowboy Caviar... YUM!

Going for rides all around the county... where we saw this!

Although it was wide, it wasn't very bright. Still it is a promise.

Of course, I MUST share at least one pic of a fuzz girl. This month I have two, both of Lulubelle, the young lady who is always getting into trouble. 

Here she is trying to figure out how to jump on the window ledge. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

Here she is fooling around with a fidget spinner that I didn't know was on my work table. Apparently it was stuck between some papers and books. Lulubelle ferreted it out while I was doing a bit of TpT work!

And now for Teacher Book Talk Tuesday, the last of my Show and Tell items,  and the second week of giveaways (a wonderful children's book and an Amazon gift card).

The book that I am sharing this week is a kid friendly biography about someone I had never heard of but was well-ahead of her time. In fact, she was so far ahead of her time that we don't have a photograph of her, only painted portraits. Yet, Ada Byron Lovelace is credited with writing the first computer program. I stumbled upon the book while searching for STEM titles on Amazon.

This well-written and handsomely illustrated picture book biography details how Ada Lovelace Byron was able to write the first computer program more than 100 years before the first computer was built. Ever since she was a young girl, Lovelace was fascinated by numbers. As she was growing up, she filled her journals with ideas for inventions and equations. Her mother provided tutors to further develop Lovelace's passion for mathematics. When one of these tutors invited Lovelace and her mother to a gathering of scientists, she met the famous mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage. He was so impressed by Lovelace's knowledge that he invited her to his laboratory, where she learned about his idea for an Analytical Engine, a mechanical computer that would solve difficult problems by working them through step-by-step. She realized that this "computer" would only work if it were provided with detailed instructions, and after much work, she succeeded in writing what is now referred to as the first computer program and in creating the profession of computer programming. The descriptive text and dazzling spreads work seamlessly to provide a sense of Lovelace's growing passion for mathematics and invention. The illustrations reflect the 19th-century setting and contain numerous supporting details. For example, gears that will eventually become part of the design of the Analytic Engine are featured throughout: in the corners of the title page, on the pages of Ada's journals, and on Babbage's chalkboard. VERDICT An excellent addition to STEM collections...School Library Journal

I actually received the book yesterday, after more than a month's wait. Apparently MANY people have discovered Ada Lovelace and Amazon actually sold out of the title. Because I just received it, I had to do a QUICK read in order to write my blog post to get published on time. I just had to share this title, especially since school is starting and I will be introducing computer code to my kiddos. I have to share this book with them.  I will be going back to do a more thorough read so that I am more familiar with the material (and just because I like the book). It will be a great read aloud and research motivator. If you are introducing coding to your students, if you are involved with technology, and if you particularly enjoy encouraging girls to "do science" then this book needs to find its way onto your wishlist and into your class library. 

And now you need to find your way over to Kidpeople Classroom where Kathleen will be reviewing a wonderful children's book that you can own (as well as a ten dollar Amazon gift card) via our second weekly giveaway. 

And when you finish entering the giveaway, be sure to find your way over to Stephanie's blog, Forever in 5th Grade to read more Show and Tell posts. It's a great way to keep up with some terrific teachers bloggers.