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Welcome to the Magic Suitcase website

Book of the Month: Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Teaching environmental awareness has become a national priority, and this hilarious book (subtly) drives home the message that we can’t produce unlimited trash without consequences. Based on incredible true events, Jonah Winter brings us the flavorful story that starts in a little town on Long Island that has a big problem: 3,168 tons of garbage and nowhere to put it! Enter the garbage barge, who hauls the junk down the coast of North America looking for a place to dump it. . . . Humorous language and amazing art built out of junk, toys, and found objects by Red Nose Studio make this the perfect book for Earth Day or any day. Photos of the work-in-progress on the back side of the jacket offers added appeal.

Our online bookstore offers:

• Quality curriculum-related picture books and resources  
• Professional evaluation of featured titles, including teaching ideas and recommendations  
• Database searchable by curriculum area, subject, theme, character traits, IB learner profile traits and writing traits. 
• A collection that will travel to your school library in Southern Ontario

Picture books can provide excellent examples of the six traits of good writing. It is now possible to search for such books, by writing trait, by choosing the trait that you want to focus on. Although each picture storybook would contain elements of these writing traits, we’ve chosen the trait most clearly depicted in the text as examples. This is a new initiative for us so please feel free to add and/or suggest any other picture books that are exemplary of these traits. The six traits, now searchable using the keyword function at left, are: Idea Development, Organization, Voice, Sentence Fluency, Word Choice and Conventions.

Judy Halpern, (MEd) proprietor of The Magic Suitcase, offers professional workshops on story-based learning in the content areas of the curriculum, specifically science and math. Consider one of the following workshops for your next conference or professional development event. Contact us for details or special requests.

Read our latest newsletter for ideas on seasonal activities to get children hooked on books. Read reviews from our "Books That Make it Work!" section. Share your ideas that springboard from a favourite story. Find out about conferences and events where The Magic Suitcase books will be on display.