My Favorite Author Linky Party

One of my favorite blogs Clutter Free Classroom is hosting a series of Linky Parties this week. When I saw this one I just had to participate. It is so hard to narrow down my favorite author. But, I have to say Kevin Henkes is one of my all time favorite authors and kindergarteners love his books. When we start talking about making text to self connections you can't find better characters to connect with than Chrysanthemum, Owen, Sheila Rae, Wimberly or Lily. Kevin Henkes is my first author study every year. The children just gravitate to his basket of books. Last year, after I had introduced Mr. Henkes and we had read and discussed his books, there was always a mad scramble to get to his basket. One day, one of my boys came over to me with a very serious look on his face. I asked him what was wrong. He told me that Owen had disappeared, I must have looked very puzzled. He then said, "Mrs. McCardle, Owen is a book by Kevin Henkes and it has disappeared. I looked in the baskets around him, but it's gone! You'll just have to get another one, I like to "read" it every day." We looked everywhere but couldn't find it. So, I bought another copy. A few weeks later I found the lost copy of Owen in the back of one of the book shelves in the classroom. I told the class that I had found the book and where I found it. The same little boy piped up and said, "That's where I hid it so I could read it every day!" Then he turned bright red. I told him it was okay, I was so glad that he loved Kevin Henkes books so much, because I did too.
P.S. I will be adding some text to self connections graphic organizers for Kevin Henkes books this week.