What?!?! Ron Weasley nearly got whacked?!?!?

JK Rowling just revealed in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, that she almost killed Ron! Read the whole article here: http://gu.com/p/332gp

Tips for Reading with Your Kids

I loved reading Tim Dowling's Oct. 18th article on the Guardian's Reading with Kids webpages. He starts out with a hilarious account of his experiences reading with his own kids. As a parent, Dowling finds the prospect of trying to help his kids improve their reading skills and develop their love of reading a little intimidating. Like many parents, he doesn't feel confident about his out-loud reading skills or his ability to help his kids pick out books that they will like. Fortunately for him, that doesn't mean his kids are doomed to be poor readers!

Dowling offers some awesome advice to parents about how to best help their kids with reading at home, even if you have no desire to be an amateur librarian. Check it out here, and start having fun while you are reading with your little ones!

Frindle / Andrew Clements

I'll admit it, I came to Frindle late. This book has been out since 1996, racking up accolade after accolade, but I'd never heard about it until recently. This is apparently what happens when you grow up; you fall out of the loop and don't hear about great stories for younger readers like this one.

Well, better late than never.

In doing some research on author Andrew Clements, I learned of Frindle (J FIC CLEMENTS), probably his best-known story, although he's written loads of books. I went in with low expectations and came out amused, entertained and — I'm not gonna lie — a little choked up. You don't expect a story about a kid who good-naturedly clashes with his teacher to pack such a wallop, but it does, and that's what makes Frindle such a winner.

Nick Allen is your typical class mischief-maker. Up until now, he's largely gotten away with his high jinks, too — until he enters fifth grade and finds himself saddled with the prim and proper, dictionary-loving Mrs. Granger, who manages her classroom with an iron hand. To Nick , of course, this is a setting ripe for tomfoolery. But Mrs. Granger's on to him. When Nick attempts to waste time in class by asking where all the words in the dictionary come from, Mrs. Granger immediately turns the tables on Nick by asking him to do the research himself and present it to the class. She might as well have waved a red flag in front of him.

What transpires is a classroom prank of epic proportions.

Inspired by the concept that people create and mold language, Nick sets out to prove a point to Mrs. Granger. He cleverly sets in motion a series of events to change the word pen to frindle. However, before he knows it, the word goes viral, leading to a much more far-reaching effect than Nicholas ever could have anticipated. And in the end, although it was Nick who wanted to prove a point to Mrs. Granger, he ultimately realizes that it was he who learned the lesson. That Mrs. Granger's no slouch in the teaching department, and it shows.

As is often the case in Clements’ stories, there are no villains. The characters are well-rounded and complex, the story marked by humor, imagination and unexpected poignancy. This is a family-friendly story that will get its readers thinking about the nature of language and the benefits of having amazing teachers who push us to learn without us even realizing it. Here's a preview of the book:

Some New Books for October

Ten Rules You Absolutely Most Not Break if You Want to Survive the School Bus
by John Grandits and illustrated by Michaell Allen Austin


On the first day of school, a little boy's big brother, James is walking him to the bus stop. James considers himself an expert on the school bus, and James is willing to share ten rules with his little brother that should make riding the bus a lot easier for him. The little boy is determined to follow these ten rules, because he does not want to get beat up on by a bully or have his lunch money stolen. The boy drops his backpack when a bigger boy bumps into him, and he is the last one on the bus. He sees a seat in the first row, but James's first rule is: "Do not sit in the first row." Unfortunately, there are no other seats except at the back of the bus, and James's second rule is: "Never sit in the last row." Because the little boys wants to obey rule three: "Never, ever make yourself stand out in any way," the little boy breaks rule two and sits in the back row seat. The little boy wants to look at the person sitting next to him, but then he breaks rule four: "Never make eye contact." The big kid sitting next to him did not like being looked at, so the little boy suddenly looks down again. When the little boy breaks rules five and six: "Never touch anyone's stuff" and "Never talk to big kids," the big kid kicks him out of the seat. The little boy ends up sitting with a little girl, and then he breaks rule seven: "Never talk to girls." The little girl talks to him the whole way, but the little boy is glad to get to school that day. Then the little boy sees the girl that was talking to him on the bus at kickball time. It turns out, she is the captain of one of the teams. The little girl tells him that he can be on her team the next day. The little girl also saves him, because after school, the little boy has trouble finding his bus, and the little girl yells at him to let him know where it is. What other things are the little boy's brother going to be wrong about? What will the little boy tell James about his rules?













Mario and Baby Gia
by Mario Lopez and illustrated by Maryn Roos


It is only a few days until Mario's birthday, and he wants to tell someone about his ideas for his party. He looks for his sister, Marissa, but she is playing with Cousin Rosie and does not want any boys around. Then Mario goes to see what Chico is up to, but Chico hurries out and tells Mario that he is late for baseball practice. Then Nana finds Mario and asks him to help her by watching little Gia while she is baking something. Mario is reluctant, but he agrees to help his Nana. Gia calls Mario, "Marigold," and Mario takes her outside and shows her how to throw a ball. Gia is not very good about throwing the ball back to Mario, though. Mario asks Nana if he can help her, but Nana asks him to give Gia her snack. Gia dumps the bowl of crackers on to the floor instead of eating them, and Mario is not happy to have to clean them up. Nana then suggests that Mario read Gia a story, but Gia pulls on the first page until it rips. Is Mario going to be really mad at Gia? What is Nana baking for? Is it a special occasion?














The Pumpkin Mystery
by Carol Wallace and illustrated by Steve Björkman


Mocha and Scruffy (a cat and dog) notice that the family is planning something. Then they see Aden and Leah ask Daddy if they can plant pumpkins again this year. Their Daddy tells them that the pumpkins will have to be planted in June in order to have them in time for Halloween. On this day, however, the family is getting the garden ready to grow beans and corn. Mama is looking for stakes, which confuses Mocha, who thinks she mean "steak." Scruffy explains that stakes are put in the ground to add string to and follow in a line for planting. Mama tells Mocha that he can help the family dig. Mocha seems to get a bit carried away with the digging, though. Everyone in the family takes part in the planting. Daddy and Mama raked the dirt, Aden and Lead count the stakes, Daddy drives in the stakes, Mama puts up the string, and Aden and Leah plant the seeds. Then it is Mocha's job to make sure that the rabbits do not get to the garden. When Mocha cannot reach the rabbits through the fence, Scruffy helps him chase off the rabbits. Everyone continues to work hard on the garden by watering the plants, pulling the weeds, and keeping the rabbits out. Then comes the time to plant the pumpkins. The seeds for the pumpkins had to be under big mounds of dirt. Unfortunately, the pumpkins are not growing very well. There are only a few weak looking pumpkin plants. Aden and Leah are very disappointed that their friends will not get to pick their own pumpkins, or that there will not be enough pumpkins to have a pumpkin toss, like the year before. Then, Mocha and Scruffy learn that one of the rabbits has some very important information about pumpkins. What does the rabbit know? Will he tell Mocha and Scruffy, and if he does, what will he want in return? Will there be any pumpkins for decorating or a pumpkin toss?












Too Many Turkeys
by Linda White and Megan Lloyd


One rainy day, Fred and Belle find a little lost turkey on their tiny farm. Belle is worried that the turkey will eat the garden, but Fred says the turkey won't, if they feed him. Fred names the turkey Buford, after his uncle, and Fred builds Buford a house and feeds him. Belle is also happy, because Fred cleans up after Buford. Because of Buford, Belle has a new ingredient to add to her garden, and the garden grows better than it ever has before. Belle tells the gardens who stop by and want to know her secret that she has a "special" fertilizer that she makes for the garden. Soon, Belle leaves for an annual birdhouse convention, and she tells Fred to take good care of her garden. Soon, Fred sees a little wild hen turkey trying to get into the garden to eat the plants. Fred manages to run her off, but the next day, there are even more turkeys in the garden. Fred tries to scare them away with music, but the turkeys like the music so much that they start dancing. Fred "turkey" walks the turkeys back to the woods. He works on cleaning up the mess they made, when he hears a big fluttering. There are turkeys everywhere! Suddenly, Fred grabs Buford's food and throws it into the back of his truck. The turkeys jump in and ride for twenty miles. Then Fred drops them off. Will the turkeys stay away? How will Fred get rid of the turkeys if they do come back? Will he have enough time to fix Belle's garden? Will the neighbors ever find out Belle's secret to her garden?

Autumn Fun

Fall Leaf Project
by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by Mike Gordon


Mrs. Connor's class is learning about the fall, and then Mrs. Connor shows them a map of the United States. Mrs. Connor tells that the leaves in their state change color, but there are other states where the leaves don't change colors. The children in the classroom decide that they want to share their leaves with the states whose leaves don't change colors. Mrs. Connor tells them that she knows a teacher or a class in one of those states (Mr. Soto). The children can collect leaves to send to Mr. Soto's class. Some children gather yellow leaves, some gather orange, and another student's favorite leaves are red. A few of the students start sorting the leaves they have found. The children also get to learn about the different kinds of leaves as they are gathering them (oak, maple, chestnut, sassafras, and many others). Back in the classroom, the students prepare the project for the other class, and then they mail the package with the project in it. Will Mr. Soto's class enjoy the Fall Leaf Project? What will the class do with all of those leaves?












Who Loves the Fall?
by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Judy Stead


The author wants to list all of the people who love the fall. There are rakers of leaves, and children who enjoy leaping into them. There are people who grow apples, who pick apples, and who make candy apples to enjoy at a Fall Festival. There are "Winged migrators," or all the different birds who fly south for the winter, and there are animals, like bears, who get ready to hibernate all winter. There are families who camp and build bonfires, and there are families that enjoy making warm apple pies. There are children at school who like to add, some who like to spell, and there are children who love to "show and tell." The fall is also time for pumpkin searchers and turkey eaters. What kinds of things do you like to do in the fall? How many of those things will you find in this book?













I Know It's Autumn
by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by Nancy Hayashi


The little child knows that autumn is here when the mornings are darker than before, and there are pumpkin muffins on the plate for breakfast. The child also knows it is autumn when it is time to get jackets to wear outside, and when the leaves on the trees are turning different colors. It is autumn when the child's class is making acorn art, and when the teacher puts turkey stickers on the child's spelling chart. Autumn is also a time for raking leaves, picking apples for apple pie, and when geese are honking as they fly south in the sky. What other things does the child notice about autumn time? Are these things that you are noticing, too?













Little Red's Autumn Adventure
by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York and illustrated by Sam Williams


On a beautiful autumn day, Little Red and her friends are walking to the Great Harvest Festival in Bluebell Wood. The group kicks leaves up in the air as they are walking along. Little Red comes up with a great idea. The group will find great big leaves and "leaf-board" down the hill. Roany, the little horse, is worried that there will not be a leaf big enough to ride on, but Little Red uses some magic dust and makes a leaf just Roany's size. Little Red has some trouble with her leaf, and she does a little tumble into the foot of a blackberry bush. In the blackberry bush, Little Red hears two little mice say, Mommy?" The two mice where very frightened. Little Red wants to help the little mice, but the mice are afraid of her, because she is so big and scary. So, Little Red uses her magic dust to shrink down to the size of the mice. Little Red wants to help the little mice, but she sees that she left her sack of smiles in the tree. So she gets the little mice on a leaf, and she pulls the leaf toward the harvest festival. Soon, Little Red's friends have made it to the festival, and then they notice that she is not there with them. Then Mrs. Mouses runs up to them and tells them that two of her children are missing, too. The group decides to form a search party. When they are looking in the forest, the friends notice that the leaves are in many colors, not just those that happen naturally. Then they see someone with a little sack tied to its tail. What do you think happened to turn the leaves different colors? Do you think that Little Red's friends are going to be able to find her and the two little mice? Will Little Red get to be big again? Will the group ever make it to the festival?

Greetings!

Can You Greet the Whole Wide World?: 12 Common Phrases in 12 Different Languages
by Lezlie Evans and illustrated by Denis Roche


There are kids all over the world who like to do the same things that you every day. This nonfiction book can help you learn some phrases to help make new friends with other children all over the world. The first phrase is "Good Morning," which is "Guten Morgen," in German, "Ohayo Gozaimasu," in Japanese, and "Bom Dia," in Portuguese. See how many of the twelve ways to say this that you can remember (or maybe you already know a few!). After saying hello to your friends, you might ask "How are you?" In Russian, this is Kak Dyela, and in Italian, this is "Come Stai?" Another good word to know in several languages is "Please." In Spanish this is "Por favor," and in Chinese, this is "Qing?" On each page of the book is a situation in which you would use the phrase, a list of the phrases in each language with the words spelled out, sounded out, and the list of the different languages. How many phrases would you like to learn? Do you think you can remember to use them sometimes with your friends, teachers, or parents?


















Say Hello!
by Rachel Isadora


When Carmelita gets up in the morning, her mother is making their favorite breakfast, and Carmelita's mother tells her that they are going to visit Abuela Rosa that day. Carmelita brings her dog, Manny, along to go on the walk to visit her grandmother. As they are walking down 9th Avenue, Senor Enrico calls, "Buenos Dias" to Carmelita and her mother. Then Carmelita and her mother meet Mrs. Rosen and her children, and they greet each other with "Shalom." Next, Carmelita and her mother stop by the Japanese restuarant to say "Konichiwa" with a bow. As they continue on their walk, Carmelita and her mother see Joseph and his parents, and they greet them with a "Jambo." Then Carmelita sees the bakery, and her mother says they can go in for some cookies. They greet the lady in the bakery with a "Bonjour." Manny seems to know all the languages, too, as he greets everyone with Carmelita and her mother. How many other stops will they make along their walk, and how many other "hellos" will they greet the people with.What special treat will Carmelita's Abuela Rosa surprise her with when they make it to visit her? At the end of the book, the author lists all of the "hellos" that were used in the book, with pronunciations and what language these "hellos" are from.
















Say Hello, Vanessa
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and illustrated by Lillian Hoban


Vanessa Mouse lives with her mother and father in a fine old house, but when people come to visit her mother and father, Vanessa does not say hello or look at the visitors. Vanessa also does not have any friends of her own. Vanessa tells her mother that making friends is the scariest thing in the world, but her mother tells Vanessa to give it a try. The next day in class, Vanessa knows how to spell the spelling word, country, but she is too afraid to put her hand up and have everyone look at her. Vanessa tells herself that she will spell the word tomorrow. After class, Vanessa notices that all of the other children seem to belong to one group or bunch. Vanessa tells her mother this when she gets home. Vanessa's mother tells her to look for someone who is all alone and try to make friends with them. The next day, Vanessa is too shy, again, to spell the word, and when she tries to say hello to Lisa Goat, Vanessa speaks too softly for Lisa to hear her. Vanessa's mother tells her to try it again, but Vanessa should talk louder. The next day, other children know how to spell country now, but Vanessa hopes she will get another chance to show the class that she can spell. Vanessa tries to say hello to Sigmund Toad, but she yells it and scares Sigmund away. The next day, Vanessa has decided not to say anything to anyone, but the teacher has a new word to spell, tooth. Will Vanessa raise her hand now and spell the word? Will she ever be able to find a friend?



















Hello, Claudia!
by Barbara Brooks Wallace


Claudia's best friend is Janice, and Claudia makes sure that Janice has a very eventful birthday when they climb under their neighbor's, Mrs. Wisby, house. On her way home, Claudia is stopped by her other neighbors, Maurice, Robin, Robby, and Leonie, who get her to help them in their dandelion selling business. Claudia is reluctant, but she feels bad for Leonie, so she agrees. Claudia talks the children into going to the next door neighbors' house to pick their dandelions. The childrne tell her that they are not allowed to by their parents, but they follow Claudia, when she decides to go over there. When the girls come back around the yard, after following butterflies and accidentally letting the dogs out of the fence, they find that the boys have gone through Claudia's backpack and made a huge mess. Mrs. Hennessy, Robin and Robby's mother is very mad at the children, but she is more mad at Claudia for leading the children off. Claudia is mad at Mrs. Hennessey for not being happy that Claudia was helping the smaller children, and she goes home mad. When Claudia gets home, she learns something very sad. Her friend, Janice, is moving away. Claudia is very upset by this information. Then Claudia finds out her cousin, Sally, will be getting married in her house, which is not good news to Claudia. When Barbara gets asked to be a bridesmaid, Claudia feels that she is being left out (a Claudia Jr.) again. Claudia feels that nobody cares how depressed she is feeling. Claudia does find out after Janice leaves that there are going to be some new neighbors. She meets Duffy and his mother, Mrs. Booth. Duffy is only six years old, but he seems very friendly to the other children. Claudia finds out that it is really hard to write every day, and Janice seems to think the same thing. Letters are not the same, anyway, so Claudia is still very depressed. Her family, friends, and neighbors then throw her a surprise birthday party, but this party just seems to upset Claudia more. Duffy saves the moment by reminding Claudia that this is not a birthday party but a special "three days after your birthday surprise party." Claudia is so confused, she goes along with it, and the adults are all grateful to Duffy. At her first day of school without Janice, Claudia is feeling even more lonely, and she believes that her family does not even care about her anymore. After hearing that Janice has made a new friend in Boston, Claudia is determined that she will find a new friend, too. Duffy keeps trying to get her to hang out with him, but Claudia would prefer someone that is more like Janice. Claudia tries being friends with Justine, a girl in her class, but Justine does not seem to be interested in any of the things that Claudia is interested in. Claudia feels that she has no one to worry about her the way everyone else seems to have somebody to worry about them. Will Claudia feel better about herself and how everyone around her feels about her? Will Claudia be able to meet a new friend like Janice? Will she be surprised about who that friend ends up being?

Weeks 14 and 9 Plant Updates

I Am Special

What's Special About Me, Mama?
by Kristina Evans and illustrated by Javaka Steptoe


A little boy asks his mother "What's special about me?" His mother tells him that his eyes can tell stories without his having to say anything. The little boy tells his mother that everyone says he has her eyes, and he asks her again about what makes him special. She tells him that his skin is the color of the autumn earth, but he tells her that he has the same skin as his dad. When he asks again, his mother tells him that he has special hair, but he tells her that his hair is like his grandmother. Every time he asks the questions, his mother tells him something else that makes him special. What kinds of things does she find special about her little boy? What kinds of things make you special? I am sure that you can find a lot of things.




















What Makes You So Special?
by Eda LeShan


Everyone has something that makes them special, and for most people, the thing that makes them special is like what makes few other people special. In this nonfiction book, there is discussion about what makes people "special" and how it is okay to be different than the people around you, so long as you are being yourself. The book starts by discussing genes and how they do or do not determine the way a person will behave or become. The book goes on to say that experiences also make each individual person different. The next part of the book focuses on how our families make us the special people that we all are. The next chapter discusses how our backgrounds determine how we will handle school, and how school is able to help us develop that special person that we are on the inside. The author discusses some of the people's lives that she has met, and she also makes up some children and their situations to explain how different things make each and every person different. The main point of the book, though, is that everyone is special is some way. In what ways are you special? In what ways are your parents, siblings, teachers, and other people in the world around you special? You may be surprised by asking them!





















Something Special
by David McPhail


Little Sam feels that everyone in his family has a special talent, except for him. Sam's sister, Sarah, is very good at playing the piano, but Sam cannot play they way that Sarah can. Sam's sister, Flo, is good at catching baseballs, but Sam cannot seem to catch anything. Sam's brother, Eugene, is great with computers, but Sam makes Eugene's computer make bad noises. Sam's father is a great cook, but Sam does not seem to be good at that, either. Sam also tries to knit like his grandmother, do a magic trick like a magician on the T.V., but neither of those hobbies work for Sam. Even Sam's dog, Fred, can balance a bone on his nose. Will Sam ever find something that makes him special? What do you think it will be? What special things can you do?



















Clementine
by Sara Pennypacker with illustrations by Marla Frazee


Clementine is having a very hard week. On Monday, she gets to go to the art room to work on her "Welcome to the Future" project. During this time, Margaret, a girl in the art room who is a year older than Clementine, goes to the bathroom and does not come back. When Clementine goes to check on her, she sees that Margaret has cut out a clump of her hair with art room scissors. Margaret explains that she was trying to get the glue out of her hair. Clementine and Margaret try to get her hair to look right, but Margaret ends up telling Clementine to cut it all off. The art teacher walks in after this, everyone gets "historical," and Clementine ends up in the principal's office. Then when they get home to their apartment building, Clementine offers to use her mother's permanent markers to make Margaret's hair red. That night, Clementine's parents get a phone call from Margaret's angry mother about her hair. The next afternoon, after a bad day at school, Clementine goes up to talk to Margaret's mother. Margaret's mother is not in a good mood, though, and Clementine goes to talk to her mother about. Clementine tells her mother that she also wants to be an artist someday, like her mother, but her mother tells her that she already is an artist. So, Clementine goes to the park to look for "interesting things" to draw. On Wednesday, Clementine asks her mother to stay home, because she has cut off her hair to make Margaret feel better, but then Clementine remembers that Margaret is going to the dentist that day. After school, she shows Margaret her hair, and Clementine lets Margaret color her hair green. On Thursday, Clementine gets into trouble with the principal again when she tries to glue her old hair on to Margaret's head so they will look alike. Then she gets into a fight with Margaret, and Clementine is very angry again. Clementine's dad asks her to help him with "The Great Pigeon War," to get the pigeons off the building to help her feel better. Friday starts even worse for Clementine. There are "clear parts" in her eggs, she cannot find her homework paper, and Margaret sits with someone else on the bus. Then that afternoon while talking with her dad about the pigeon problem, Clementine gets a great idea for scaring off the pigeons. What will Clementine's plan be for scaring the pigeons? Will she get an even better plan later? Will her family like her plan? Will Clementine be able to be friends with Margaret again? Will Clementine have a better weekend than she had the rest of the week? There are many ways throughout the book that Clementine proves that she is very special. How many do you see?

Weeks 13 and 8 Update Photos

Some New Books for September

One Moon, Two Cats
by Laura Godwin and illustrated by Yoko Tanaka


There is one moon up in the sky, and there are two cats that are not asleep. Both cats yawn, stretch, look, and leap. Then you see that one cat is in the city, and the other cat is in the country. The city cat watches the vans and trucks go by, while the other cat walks beside pigs and ducks. Both cats are exploring though, and they both seem to do the same things, even though they live in different places from each other. Both cats soon smell a mouse, though, and they go chasing after it. They both finally corner their rats, when a loud sound stops them both. Each page has a picture of both of the cats, one on each side. How close do you think the cats will get to each other before the night is over? What do you think the cats will do when the sun comes out? Does your cat like to do the same things that these cats do?











Ten Little Caterpillars
by Bill Martin Jr. and illustarted by Lois Ehlert


Throughout this book are different kinds of caterpillars and flowers. Each page has the name of the different flowers and plants and what the little caterpillar is doing. There are also other little creatures on the pages with the caterpillars, and those little creatures are labeled, too. Each little caterpillar continues until they enter their chrysalis stage, and a few of the caterpillars are frightened by some very colorful birds. What will the caterpillars eventually become? Have you ever seen the little caterpillar's chrysalis before? At the end of the book are a list of the different kinds of caterpillars that you seen in the story, and the kind of insect that they turn in to. Have you seen any of these insects around? What kinds have you seen?












Justin Tuck's Home-Field Advantage
by Justin Tuck and illustrated by Leonardo Rodriguez


People ask Justin Tuck, a defensive end for the New York Giants, how he got to be so tough. Justin tells them that he had to be tough, because he grew up with five sisters! Justin's sisters gave him a hard time, especially his twin sisters, Christale and Tiffany. One day, the twins offered to give Justin a haircut, because they said his hair was getting a little long. Justin is not sure that he wants them to cut his hair, but the twins assure him that they know what they are doing (they have watched their mother plenty of times). Both twins are soon cutting on his hair. The girls keep cutting and cutting and cutting, and soon, Justin is worried that they have cut all of his hair off. When the girls show him his picture in the mirror, what do you think Justin's hair is going to look like? What will Justin's parents think of what the twins did? Do you think that Justin will ever let his sisters cut his hair again?










Bear's Loose Tooth
by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman


All of the animals are eating their lunch, when Bear notices that something in wiggling and wobbling in his mouth. Bear has a loose tooth! Bear is really worried about his tooth. He is afraid he will not be able to eat without his teeth. The other animals assure Bear that another tooth will grow in where this tooth is coming out. Little Wren is the first to try to pull out Bear's loose tooth, but the tooth stays stuck in Bear's mouth. Owl tries next, but he does not pull it out either. One by one, all of the other animals start pulling on the tooth, but there is still no luck pulling out Bear's tooth? Will they be able to pull out Bear's loose tooth? What will happen when Bear sleeps near his tooth? What happens the next morning when Bear starts to eat again?