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The PHPS Difference
The PHPS Difference Podcast—an inside glance into how PHPS celebrates students who learn differently. At PHPS, we focus on equipping students with the skills, confidence, and passion to be successful in their futures. Through this podcast we will share resources and expert insights to help families and our community support learners beyond the classroom. We invite families and community members to walk alongside us in supporting extraordinary learners.
The PHPS Difference
Hootie’s Story Nest: Mrs. Walker
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Hootie’s Story Nest – Episode 4
Featuring Mrs. Walker, PHPS 1st Grade Teacher
Welcome back to Hootie’s Story Nest, part of the PHPS Difference Podcast Summer Series!
In this episode, Mrs. Walker, one of our wonderful PHPS 1st Grade Teachers, shares Earl & Worm: The Bad Idea by Greg Pizzoli. This funny and engaging story follows two unlikely friends as they navigate a not-so-great idea, reminding readers that friendship, problem-solving, and a little patience can go a long way.
🌟 In This Episode
- A read-aloud of Earl & Worm: The Bad Idea
- A celebration of friendship and teamwork
- Lots of laughs and silly moments
- A personal connection from Mrs. Walker about her love of historical fiction as a child
- Mrs. Walker's book recommendations:
- The Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo
- The Skunk and Badger series by Jacqueline Davies
- The Orris and Timble series by Kate DiCamillo
- An opportunity to think about choices and consequences
- A reminder that good friends help each other through challenges
🎯 Our Goal
To inspire a love of reading, encourage imagination, and help students discover the joy that comes from sharing stories together.
📚 Keep Listening
Join us each week as a new PHPS teacher shares their favorite stories and helps keep our students connected to books all summer long.
💛 Special Thanks
Before we wrap up, we want to give full credit to the authors, illustrators, and publishers of the books shared in today’s episode. These excerpts are shared to celebrate and support reading. Hootie’s Story Nest is an educational summer series on the PHPS Difference Podcast, created to inspire a love of reading, spark curiosity, and keep students connected to books all summer long.
Hi everyone, I'm Carmen. I'm a PHPS Owl. Welcome to Hootie Story Nut. We miss you this summer, so we're sharing some of our favorite books with you. Each week, a teacher will read a fun part of a story and tell you about other books you might like. So get comfy and enjoy today's story. Have a great day.
SPEAKER_00We're so excited to welcome Miss Sue Walker, one of our amazing teachers. She has taught first grade at Preston Hollow Presbyterian School for many, many years, and we are so thrilled for her to share her favorite stories with us today. But first, what are you doing this summer, Miss Walker?
SPEAKER_01Oh, I'm so looking forward to just spending time with family and especially having time to read summer books. I kind of have this thing that every summer I go and explore and choose my summer reads, and I very much look forward to having more time to read in the summer.
SPEAKER_00I agree.
SPEAKER_01It's sometimes hard to find that time during the school year. Absolutely. Yeah. So it'll be nice to have the time to do that.
SPEAKER_00Well, we're happy you're here, and we can't wait to hear a little bit about the book you're going to share with us today.
SPEAKER_01Okay. I had so many choices, and it's interesting how they all wound up being about friends and friendship. Um, the one I want to share, though, is called Earl and Worm, uh, The Bad Idea. Uh, it's a wonderful little series of three books by Greg Pizzoli. He's actually the author and the illustrator. Um, and it's a wonderful book about um Worm and Earl and how different their little personalities are. One is very quiet and book loving, The Worm. And Earl is kind of happy, saxophone-playing bird. Um, and so it's a wonderful, heartwarming story. It has three chapters, and I'm just going to read a little bit of the first one called Lemonade, a perfect summer story. Earl and Worm have been friends for a long, long time. But when they first met, Worm was not so sure about Earl. When Earl moved in next door, Worm watched from her window. Who is that new bird? She said to herself. Why is he up so early? And why is he smiling like that? What is he so happy about? Earl saw Worm in the window. Hello, yes, you there. You must be Worm. My name's Earl. Earl waved and he shouted, Good morning. Worm ducked down out of sight and she hid behind a book and she did not say hello back. Good morning, said Worm. What's so good about it? Worm was cranky and she did not like new things. And Earl was new.
SPEAKER_00That sounds so fun, and I can't wait for our readers to keep on listening or reading. Um, do you think that they could probably find this at their local library? I think so, yes.
SPEAKER_01And it's um my students when I read this series this year, because this was new to me, they were so captivated by the story. I love when they can't want they can't wait for me to keep reading. They don't want me to stop and they want to see what's gonna happen. Um, and they were just so engaged, and so was I. So I think, yes, you could find them at your library or or at any bookstore.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think that's great. Did you have a couple of others that you wanted to share with us?
SPEAKER_01Yes, interesting. They're all kind of friendship stories. Um, Sydney and Taylor is another three-book series by Jacqueline Davies, and the illustrator is Deborah Hacking. And again, it's about the a skunk and a hedgehog that are unlikely friends, um, and how they go and explore the world. Um, and it's very fun and how they encourage each other with their friendship. And then Orris and Timbell is a Kate DeCamelo uh series. There are three books about an owl and a rat, um, and how the owl kind of gets caught, and the rat's not sure if he should help the owl or not. Um, and then Mercy Watson is also Kate DeCamelo. My students love Mercy Watson. There are lots of books in the series about a pig that loves hot buttered toast. So those are all great books that would be wonderful for summer reads.
SPEAKER_00I love that, and I think that knowing our young readers, but also our older readers, anything with animals and friendship, those stories are always so fun and funny. Um, and I also love many of those authors. So thank you for sharing. Um, and I know our our students are going to be eager to go out and find some of those books. We'll definitely put those in the show notes so that they can find all those titles. Um, can you share one last thing that we like to ask all of our guests? Is there something that you love to read as a kid or a genre that you were really interested in?
SPEAKER_01I would say as a kid, I always loved historical fiction. I don't know that I could think of one particular book at the moment, but I think I always found them kind of inspiring as a child to see the struggles that people went through. And it kind of made me feel like I could do it too, whatever challenge you had facing you. If they could go through that, then I could go through anything as well. And I just love the history and things of the past and kind of just learning about that as I read.
SPEAKER_00So yes, I agree. That that's great. And hopefully our students will check out some historical fiction this summer as well. It's a great way to get to a segue between your fiction novels and uh nonfiction and still be engaged in a really great story. So that's a great recommendation. Um thank you for being here. We're so grateful to all of our teachers for sharing your thoughts and your stories with us. And before we wrap up, we want to give full credit to all authors, illustrators, and publishers of the books shared in today's episode. These excerpts are shared to celebrate and support reading. Hootie's Storiness is an educational summer series on the PHPS Differenti Difference Podcast created to inspire a love of reading, spark curiosity, and keep students connected to books all summer long.
