Sort It Out!

Sort it Out! is an entertaining story of a curious packrat who enjoys sorting his collection of trinkets in a variety of ways. Told in rhyme, the text leads the reader to participate in the sorting process by categorizing Jackie¿s piles of things according to like characteristics and attributes. The reader response is worked into the rhyme with each page-turn, building a sense of anticipation and enjoyment. The illustrations include a humorous subplot about Jackie¿s sister, who enjoys pilfering some of his things for her own enjoyment. Children relate to the idea of having a collection of favorite objects and the satisfaction that comes from examining and admiring these collectibles. The story promotes and reinforces analogous thinking ¿ a critical thinking skill in math, science, and life. In the supplemental activity section at the back of the book, the reader can explore even more attributes and characteristics of objects, including color, size, texture, shape, and material. Lexile Code: NP.

Barbara Mariconda (Sort it Out!) is one of those people who ôhas done it all!ö An educator (K-6), a mentor teacher, an adjunct professor of Children's Literature and Process Writing, Barbara has also written a wide variety of musicals, songs, and books. She has worked with Children's Television Workshop and Cherry Lane music on the creative staff of the Sesame Street Music Magazine. In addition to writing workbooks and beginning readers, her middle grade novel, Turn the Cup Around, was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award for best children's mystery. She has also published numerous professional books for teachers, frequently speaks on the topic of writing for and with children, and provides professional development for teachers at seminars across the country. She is a partner in the educational seminar/consulting firm, Empowering Writers, LLC., and is a member of SCBWI. Barbara recognized that sorting and categorizing, so clearly recognized as a math and science skill, also powerfully relates to writing. In order to write in an organized fashion, to group like details with broader main ideas, to recognize the ways in which main ideas in a piece of writing may overlap and therefore encourage redundancy, it all comes down to the writer's ability to think critically and sort things out. Barbara's huge collections of sea glass, pottery shards, glass paperweights, nutcrackers, wine bottle corks, and cowboy boots, all artfully sorted and arranged, served as the inspiration for this book.