Sleepy Bear’s Book Club–THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

 

Hi Book Buddies,

I’m starting a new book!  It’s called THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER by Barbara Robinson.            

I’m reading this book because the Seattle Public Theater is making this story into a show on stage!  And, guess what?

 

I get to go see the show on preview night at The Bathhouse Theater on Thursday December 9, 2010.  That’s less than two weeks away!  I’d better start reading tonight.

Oh, in case you are wondering who the dog is, that’s Tsavo.  She turned 8 months old yesterday.  She’s a Rhodesian Ridgeback.  I’m going to read to her.  I hope she likes the story.

And, I hope you read the book with me, too.  If you need a copy you can try Mockingbird Books in Green Lake.  That’s where I got mine. 

Your Book Buddy,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear’s Book Club - WEMBERLY WORRIED

 

Hi Book Buddies,

 

This is the book WEMBERLY WORRIED by Kevin Henkes.  The title is covered up with the library sticker.  I wonder if they can move it after I return the book to the library?

 

Well, that’s ok.  I still like the story. 

Poor Wemberly.  She worries a lot!  She worries more than me, and I worry a lot, too.

I worry that I might run out of whippy cream for my hot cocoa!

Luckily, my best friend and reading and writing teacher, Kathleen, buys me extra whippy cream.  Do you worry?  I hope not, but if you do, maybe you have a friend who helps you, too?

I hope you get a chance to read WEMBERLY WORRIED.

Your Book Buddy,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear’s Book Club–LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE

Hi Book Buddies,

My reading and writing teacher, Kathleen, went to the library for me and checked out LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE by Kevin Henkes.

Do you see what color my cup is for hot cocoa and whippy cream?

Lilly is lucky to have a nice teacher like Mr. Slinger.  I hope your teacher is super nice, too.

Uh Oh!  I think Lilly is going to get into trouble.  She’s having a hard time being considerate.  That means she’s not very polite to Mr. Slinger when he’s teaching.  Lilly might get into trouble.

 

Lilly said straws make everything taste better.  She’s right!

 

Luckily for Lilly, her parents are very helpful and Mr. Slinger understood she was having a bad day.  He forgave her for being rude in class.

I like Lilly.  I hope you write to me and tell me your favorite part of LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE.

My next book is going to be WEMBERLY WORRIED. Kevin Henkes wrote that book, too.

Bye for now,

Sleepy Bear 

Sleepy Bear Watches THE WIZARD OF OZ on Stage

Hi Theater Friends,

I'm so excited! I got to watch the final sharing for THE WIZARD OF OZ at the Seattle Public Theater.

The final sharing was like a final performance except the kids didn't have costumes, or sets, and only three props. But they did get to perform on a real stage! They were really good, too.

This is the part where everyone danced in the land of Oz. The kids did a great job learning the choreography. And, they had to sing at the same time! I bet that was hard to do.

At the end of the show they took a final bow for the audience. I was surprised to see how much they learned in only eight weeks. They did a super duper job. I bet Todd Hulet is very proud of his cast and their final sharing.

If you want to learn how to perform on stage, too, then you should ask your parents to sign you up for one of the Youth Programs at the Seattle Public Theater. That would be something fun to do in December. Here's the link: http://seattlepublictheater.org/education-programs.htm

Oh, and if you don't have enough money in your piggy bank, the theater will help you. They have something called scholarships. That's a big word for me. I better look it up in the dictionary. If you find out what it means, you can let me know.

I'm going to go read LILLY'S PURPLE PURSE.

Bye for now,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear Visits Rehearsal for THE WIZARD OF OZ

Hi Theater Friends,

On Saturday I went to the last rehearsal for THE WIZARD OF OZ.  I was very surprised because the kids were really good!  I could tell they were working super hard to know all their lines and choreography. 

Saturday they have a final sharing.  That means they get to perform for their parents.  I bet in a few years they will perform in the big kid productions, like ZOMBIE CAESAR and BOOK OF DAYS!

Bye for now,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear Invites Kathleen to Blog about BOOK OF DAYS

Hi Theater Friends,

I’m so lucky! My reading and writing teacher, Kathleen, saw another play at The Bathhouse and she’s going to tell us about it. This one is called BOOK OF DAYS.
That sounds like the perfect play for me because it’s about books! But, Kathleen said the title means something different and is has a lot of big words (and a few “bad” ones). So, I stayed home and drank a cup of hot chocolate and whippy cream and read THE WIZARD OF OZ so I can compare and contrast the book with the play.

Wow, Sleepy Bear, two weekends in a row that I get to write on your blog! Once again, I’m honored.

Yes, Sleepy Bear, BOOK OF DAYS by Lanford Wilson has a theme more suitable for mature audiences; which is quite interesting considering this production is performed by 14 – 18 year olds from the Youth Program at the Seattle Public Theater, but they so completely disappeared into their adult characters that you would hardly know their true ages.

Award winning playwrite, Lanford Wilson, created a story set in a small, fictional, mid-western town. Unfortunately for the townspeople, their town is just a little too small for the ensuing plot that thickens around them. They are all consumed with heartache, diverse religious views, an overzealous politician wanna-be, dishonesty, infidelity, determination to do the right thing above all else, greed, and good ol’-fashioned murder. Quite a hefty undertaking for any seasoned actor to take on any one of the 13 characters. But like cogs in a wheel, each actor gave a stunning performance to make this wheel of a play spin forward; and what a fine wheel it is! Once again, Shana Bestock has done an extraordinary job of directing. She has guided the cast through the process of delving deep into their short repertoire of experiences and use the authentic resources available to them in order to bring their characters to life on the stage. I bet Mr. Wilson would be proud to see his work performed by such a talented group of young thespians.

Sleepy Bear, the language can be a bit adult so it was a good thing you stayed home but, parents, this is a perfect play for you and your older kids to see. You still have a few opportunities to catch a performance. Here’s the link to the Seattle Public Theater’s Education Programs and the performance schedule: http://seattlepublictheater.org/education-programs.htm

Oh, and something else I learned about the cast is that most of them started acting in the younger productions with the Seattle Public Theater. So, Sleepy Bear, when you see the kids at THE WIZARD OF OZ you can tell them to keep up the good work and soon they’ll be performing in the adult plays, like BOOK OF DAYS.

Thanks, Kathleen! Oh, and friends, check back later and I’ll tell you about the last rehearsal for THE WIZARD OF OZ!

Bye for now,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear Visits an Elementary School

Hi Book Buddies,

I was invited to visit an elementary school in Bellingham, Washington. I made a lot of new friends in Mrs. Hanes' first grade class, Mrs. Mitchell's first grade class, and Mrs. Dubiel's kindergarten class!



This is their school.

The kids in Mrs. Mitchell's class said one of their favorite books to read is THE PIGEON FINDS A HOT DOG!

The school librarian gave me a copy to read.

Mrs. Mitchell's class was right! It is a funny book.

My next book will be LILLY'S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE.

I hope you write to me and tell me more about your favorite books.

Your Book Buddy,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear Answers His Mail

Hi Book Buddies,

I have learned some new words that rhyme!

Aarlyn told me about tricks and six! Thanks, Aarlyn, those are super rhyming words.

Tea also wrote to me. Her rhyming words are mouse and house. I like those, too.

Here are some more rhyming words from my book, ROOM ON THE BROOM.

Down! cried the witch,
and they flew to the ground.
They searched for the hat,
but no hat could be found.

Can you tell me the words that rhyme?

I like rhyming words. They are fun to find in books.

I can't wait to learn more words from you.

Your Book Buddy,

Sleepy Bear

Sleepy Bear Visits Another Rehearsal for The Wizard of Oz at Seattle Public Theater

Hi Friends,

I had a busy weekend at the theater. On Saturday morning I got to watch another rehearsal for THE WIZARD OF OZ! It was fun to watch the kids warm up. That’s so they can do their choreography and not pull a muscle.

This is me with Todd Hulet. He's the director. I'm learning a lot from him about being an actor on the stage!

I tried to do some warm up exercises. First I stretched one arm up high and counted to 8. Then I stretched the other side, just like the kids at rehearsal. That’s hard work.

I made another friend, too. This is Max. He plays Toto. He said he watched A LOT of dogs so he would know what to do. I have a dog at home. It would be really hard to act like a dog for the whole show. But Max is a really good actor.

Makena plays Dorothy. Today she got to try on her red shoes. They are very sparkly.

The kids are almost ready to perform for their families. Just one more rehearsal. I bet they are super excited to finally share what they have learned!

Today is a perfect day to sit inside with a cup of hot cocoa and whippy cream and read the book, THE WIZARD OF OZ. So far I have found one contrast. Toto doesn’t talk like he does on the stage! I’ll tell you more later.

Your book buddy,

Sleepy Bear