Bought for my 2nd grade classroom.

My second grade class voted to send this book around the world. We want to study the towns and countries the book goes. The students really enjoyed this book and laughed a lot. They liked the part where Flash thought the Ape was a cat and they really giggled when he spent the day in the classroom closet. And they were really happy the book ended the way it did. They are looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks about it. We also will be happy to answer posts or journal entries that have questions.

My class consists of 19 kids at this time. There are 8 girls and 12 boys. We enjoy learning to read better and like science. We have classroom pets, guinea pigs, named Hersey and Marshmellow.

To all of you in our ring, Thank you for helping us learn about the world.

Ring order:
Hayes13,Rome, Italy **Mailed to Danielle23 November 19
*Danielle23, Sunderland England
*KiwiinEngland, Ireland
*Lizzyblack, Italy
*shelj7k, Dublin
*sfogs, New Zealand
*Liberate58, New Zeland
*dutch-book, Netherlands
*Fremmedordbok, Norway
* Hippolein, Finland.
*hakkalina, Hungry
*Sujie, Australia
*glenystasmania, Au
* Brookler, Canada
*Trex3, Canada
*pooker3, Canada, thanks for mailing to USA!
*grubsneerg, Pennsylvania, USA
*Chubsiewhubsie, Ohio
*bslv1212, OH
*bethieb, KY, USA
* cbostler, Utah, USA
*Evishkigal, Utah
*PaulsBooks, UT
*Whiskeyjane, New Mexico,
*bksfamly, Arizona
*Littlewhitebird, California
*LoriPed, Keizer Oregon
* ITPdx, Oregon
*Wandering-B, Hong Kong
*Tohweiee, China
*JennyC1230< locations?
Then home to our class.

**If anyone has problems sending international please PM me and I will help make other arrangements. Thanks everyone.

If you would like to send cards or letters to the students, we will write you back.
Our address is:
Owen Elementary School
Mrs. Burgess' class
1132 N. Vandalia Ave.
Tulsa, OK 75115-5217
USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The kids are mailing the book with high hopes for lots of traveles, so lots of fun places to learn about!

This is a picture of the INSIDE of the Colosseum. The floor has eroded away and you can see what is (or was) underneath. The Colosseum was used by the Romans for gladiator fights. It is one of the symbols of ancient Rome and is a beautiful monument. I hope you will be able to travel here and see it one day.

Ciao Tutti!
That's Italian for "Hello Everyone!"
It's pronounced "Chow Too-tee"

Your book arrived this morning. I am so honored that Rome is the first stop for this international book! I am looking forward to reading it very much. Thank you for your letters. I know you addressed them to me, but I will send them along with the book so that everyone around the world can see your words and pictures!

I have a question for the class: Do you all speak English as your native language? I am originally from New York so English is my mother tongue, but I speak Italian very well.

I will let you know when I am ready to send the book on to England.
In the mean time,
Buona Giornata e Studiate bene!
(Have a nice day and study hard!)

This is a picture of the OUTSIDE of the Colosseum. It's very, very big. That what Colosseum means. Like the word "colossal"! So the Colosseum is a huge stadium! Can you see how small the people are outside?


Ciao Tutti!
I just loved your book. Thank you for choosing this one to send around the world.

I especially liked the picture of the four buddies, Flash Fleetwood, Bullets Birkenstock, Rolf the Dog, and Phil the Gorillia all eating cookies together. What a great group of friends!

I'm glad I have all of you as my Bookcrossing friends!
Enjoy the rest of your journey around the world!

Arrivederci,
(See you again soon)
Ms. Palmisano

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

And on it goes to the next reader... I'm sure you will love it as much as I did.

Ms. Palmisano,
We are so glad you liked our book! Thank you for writing us back about what you liked. To answer your question, Yes, several of us speak another language besides English. Ten of us can speak Spanish as well as English. Six of us can read childrens books in spanish as well.
We studied about Italy, one of our favorite parts about Italy are the racing car. Carlos, Lorenze, Caleb, Kevin, Christian, Teddy, Jonathan, Amanda, and Luis really liked those cars :) . Teddy liked the maps we studied about the area, and Kevin, Jonathan, Teddy, Christian, Kiaerra, and Miriam like Italy's flag. We really liked the flag because it is a lot like the one from Mexico except the flag from Mexico has an Eagle in the middle. We also liked the idea of traveling on a gondola down the rivers. Jonathan thinks the Colosseum looked very interesting. So does Teddy, Devin, Amanda, Aliyaha, Christian, Lorenze, Miranda and Kevin do as well. Thank you for showing us the picture. Jonathan and Devin think the Leaning Tower of Pisa is great! They thinks it is the only building that can lean that far for that long, 649 Years!! Christain, Luis, and Kevin just love everything they have learned about Italy.

The book has arrived safely on my doorstep and now I'm trying really hard to think of anything interesting to tell about my City. Following Hayes13 though, Sunderland seems pretty average in comparison to Rome.

The city is by the sea but the weather here is cold most of the year round so we don't really visit it as much as we should. We have few monuments in the city and the most famous is Penshaw Monument as it is built to look like a Grecian temple and is really beautiful (I'm not very good with putting photographs on here but I will try my hardest to find a postcard and send it along).

The city is also quite famous for it's football team (or soccer as I guess you would all call it) and also for the friendly rivalry we have with our nearest neighbours; Newcastle.

I work in a nursery and know the children will appreciate listening to this story and I will read it to my Nephew too. Thank you all for sharing this book with me and I look forward to letting you all know what I think xx

What a funny little book. It really made me wish I had a Gorilla for a pet, especially one that is so well behaved and went to school.

I was wondering if any of you had any unusual pets? I used to have a lizard when I was your age, called Jaffa, and he was lovely (and not slimy like most people think). At the minute I have 2 dogs called Sally and Simba and 1 cat called Tabatha but nothing unusual. If I had a Gorilla I would call him Desmond, I think it's a good name for a Gorilla. What would you call yours if you had one??

It was lovely to meet all of you wonderful children and I hope you continue to be as interested in books in the future as you are now. You also have a wonderful teacher (I wish mine had introduced me to Bookcrossing) and I hope you all study hard. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Travel safely around the world little book xx

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Off to kiwiinengland, the next in line for this book xx

Second Grade Ape has arrived in Manchester, England. I am looking forward to reading this book. I have looked at all your letters and pictures and they are fabulous.

Manchester was the world's first industrial city, - which means it has lots of old factories and warehouses made of brick. It is also the city where Mr Rolls meet Mr Royce, can you guess what they started building together? Rolls Royce cars!!

I was wondering if Tulsa is famous for building anything?

I liked this book, I really enjoyed how Flash Fleetwood and his friend Bullets Birkenstock had made up their own names.

Leaping lollipops, this book is going in the post to the next reader. Thank you for sharing this fun book.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:





Posting to the next person in the ring.

We are glad you all are enjoying our book. To answer your questions about our pets we can say we do have classroom pets that are unusual. We have two guinea pigs, Hersey and Marshmellow, who are 3 years old. They are friendly and like to be held during our reading time. They also like to be fed. They really like fruit and vegtables from our salad bar, their favorites are oranges, broccoli, carrots, corn, and lettace. They like hay a lot too. Some of us have unusal pets at home as well. Tyler has a ferret named Fernando, but she calls him Fred. Aliyaha has a hamster named Oreo, Alexia has hamsters named Angel and Sally. Carlos has a bunny named Stuie he is white with black and brown colors.
We don't live by an ocean but we have large lakes nearby. Tyler went to Swan lake and got to feed the swans that live there. Daniel has been to Keystone lake a lot. He used to swim in it sometimes. Aliyaha went to Skiatook lake swam and camped nearby. We also have a big river that runs through are town. The Arkansa river runs through ourty and it is very pretty. People fish there, and the local rowing team can be seen practicing there. They also have the cities big July 4th party there. That is a lot of fun.

Ciao bimbi (hi children), and welcome back to Italy! I read all the previous Journal Entries, and I see this book is having good time travelling around Europe :) So, my name is Liz, and I as well as Hayes13, live in Italy. The place where I live is about 400 miles from Roma, in the far North of Italy. We are very close to Switzerland borderline. I am Italian mothertongue, so forgive my English! I learnt English at school, and then spent part of my life in Dublin, Ireland, where I could improve a bit this language.
The place where I live is nice, but quite cold! We are very close to the Alpine foothills (also called Prealps). The sea it's about 100 miles away, but we have many lakes, on of which is quite famous and it's called "Lake Como". Like all the lakes here around, it's an Alpine lake, so quite cold also on summer ;) I am getting a degree in chemistry, and I read you are interested in science, so this really makes me happy :) I am very happy to have your book here with me, and I will read it soon, so that I c took it just a few weeks ago, when it started snowing. I hope you'll like it :)

Dear kids,
I read this lovely book this afternoon :) How pretty it is! Thanx a lot for sharing it with me :)I read you have 2 Guinea pigs in the classroom, they must be really happy to be cuddled from you all! I have 2 cats, their names are Nerina and Tigro. They are mother and son, but really different: Nerina is black and white, Tigro is grey.
I read a bit of the place you live in, it sounds like a beautiful place! I've never been to the US, but I hope I'll be able to have an holiday there soon. I usually travel in Europe and Italy. I was wondering if any of you has ever travelled outside the US. Where did you go? And did you like it? I think travelling it's one of the most amazing things in life: meeting new people, learning cultures and languages, seeing new places. Bookcrossing is a nice way to travel as well, don't you think?
It's time for me to leave you kids! Many greetings from Italy, and have a lot of nice reading with your teacher!

Dia dhuit go leir agus Failte do dti Baile Atha Cliath.

Hi Everyone and welcome to Dublin, Ireland. My name is Michelle, but everyone calls me Shel. I am a Mom with two boys aged 12 and 15. I am absolutely thrilled to part of this book's adventures and I am really looking forward to reading about Second Grade Ape!

Your book has arrived safely in Dublin, the capital of Ireland today. This is a city with a long and exciting history. It was first founded as a Viking settlement and the name 'Dublin' comes from the Irish 'Dubh Linn' (pronounced dove-linn) which means Black Pool. However, Dublin is now referred to as Baile Atha Cliath in modern Gaeilge or Irish. The city is a mixture of very old, history soaked architecture and very modern buildings. I live a few miles outside of the city, near to the beach. I have two dogs who love to run on the beach. Please click on my name to see some pictures of them. The only thing I would like to change about living in Ireland is the weather.... It rains lots!!!

I am very much enjoying reading all of your lovely letters enclosed in the book and your artwork is just beautiful!

I will write soon to let you know how I enjoyed Second Grade Ape.

PS: The picture I have included is of a bridge in the city called the Ha'penny Bridge. It is called that because a long time ago people used to have to pay a half-penny to cross it!!!

Hi Everybody,

Wow, thank you again for letting me read Second-Grade Ape, it was soooo much fun! I really laughed at the part where the chickens were in trouble for making fun of the humans!!! What do you think they did to upset Flash Fleetwood's Dad so much?

For my work I take care of lots of children after school. They come to my house and we have some lunch, do homework and then it is time for fun. We play games, bake, do art projects and, of course we read lots of books. I read Second-Grade Ape to all my little friends before they went home yesterday and they thought it was a really funny story. They couldn't understand how Flash Fleetwood thought he had found a cat!!! What would you do if you found a big gorilla on your way home from school today? Would you be allowed to keep him and would Mrs Burgess allow him to come to school? I think that perhaps your class pets are much more suitable!

It is time for Second-Grade Ape to move on to the next reader now. It has to travel a great distance all the way to the other side of the world as the next reader is in New Zealand. It couldn't be much further! Do you have a map of the world or a globe so that you can see where Ireland is and where New Zealand is? I hope that it will not take too long to get there.

I think that you are all fantastic boys and girls and I hope that you will continue to love reading (and bookcrossing) for your whole lives. I think reading has to be one of the best hobbies you can have and I know that no matter how many books you read, there will always be another wonderful story to find in the next book.

I send you all love and good wishes from Ireland...

Le Gra, Shel xxx
Love Shel, xxx

Tēnā koutou! (Hello Everyone!) Haere mai! (Welcome) to Christchurch, New Zealand! If you look on a map you will see that Christchurch is sitting just above a peninsula. This is called Banks Peninsula and 11 million years ago there were two or three large Volcanoes and the lava made this peninsula!
Christchurch is known as the garden city because we have lots of gardens, nice flowers and trees.
Thank you all for the book I will read it right away!
I will also send a postcard!

Thank you! I really liked this book!
I laughed when Bullet also though Phil was a cat!
I will have this book back in the post and on it's way as soon as I can.
Now I have to write an essay for University, so you all work hard at school too! Have a good day!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

In the post!

This book is my #13 for the
2010 'KEEP THEM MOVING' Challenge arranged by Guinaveve.

Hi, I enjoyed this book and would love to have an ape as a pet however that is just not possible. I have 6 cats called George, Monty, Harry, Fred,Barney and Fergus.
I live in Picton which is at the top of the South Island in New Zealand. We have 5 ferries which make many daily trips across Cook Strait going betwwen Picton and Wellington (the capital of NZ).
I love NZ and what it enables me to do ie tramping, sailing, kayaking camping and cycling.

I got the book last week. Wonderful! In the next journal entry which I will make tomorrow I'll tell you interesting stuff about my country and place where I live.

Hello guys, it took me some time to read this cute little book, but I did it!
First I'd like to tell you about my country.

I live in the Netherlands, that's a little country far away across the ocean. It's in western Europe. I'm often told by foreigners that our country is very flat. I don't notice that, since I see it everyday, but whenever I go to France, which is another country in western Europe, I really see the difference. The most famous thing about the Netherlands (you can also say Holland) are tulips, clogs, cheese and windmills.
The Dutch flag has the colours red, white and blue in stripes under each other horizontally. So red stripe, white stripe, blue stripe. Our national colour is orange. Cheery isn't it?
So, since you guys are from Oklahoma and I've never been to the USA thus don't know nothing about Oklahoma. Does Oklahoma have a flag and what doest it look like and do you like it?
And if your class could have a flag, how would you want it to be?

Back to the book: isn't it peculiar to have a gorilla as pet? He sure must take a lot of space! Are there any animals in your country from which you think we don't have them in the Netherlands?

Anyway, I truly enjoyed your book, but it asked me too send him along to Norway, to Fremmedordbook. He said he had done enough sightseeing and likes to see another country and other people. So, off it goes!

Our all-times-favourite second-grade ape is monkeying it's way to Norway. He wanted to fly, but then discovered he had no wings, so monkeying it became.

Is this still being used as part of a classroom activity by Mrs Burgess? She has only responded to the first two people who journalled the book and every other person has been ignored.

Yes, it is still part of the ring. We didn't really have any questions to answer until the end of May and school was out by then and is until the end of the summer. I think there are two options at this time, the person with the book can read it and post a journal response, and when we get back we'll study where it was over the summer and move on. Or, it can pause over the summer where it is, and we can pick up the 1st week of September. I think the person with the book, at this time, could post here on which they would rather do. I'd like it to be their choice so that I know they will have it in their mind and not put it on a shelf to be forgotten.

Dear children, Mrs. Burgess, and all the readers of Second-Grade Ape!

You won't believe how lucky I was today! A couple of days ago dutch-book sent me a message, and told me that the Second-Grade Ape was ready to visit me. I answered that I was really looking forward to receiving the book, but that I was a little bit afraid that it wouldn't arrive in time - I had just finished my exams, and were about to leave for holidays.

And then, today, just 30 minutes before I had to walk out my door to catch my bus, the mailman came and delivered the book in my mailbox! So I grabbed it, and put it in my backpack, and it has travelled with me today!

Usually I live in Bergen, where I study music therapy at the moment. Any of you heard of music therapy? It's a form of therapy where one use music to help people in their lives if they have any problems. It could be almost all kinds of problems - I have worked with babies from two months old, up til a man who was 107 years old! Can you imagine?

But today I have travelled to my hometown, Sandnes. I am visiting my parents who live here. It's about five hours by bus from Bergen to get here, and it's always great to come home and meet my mum and dad again! I don't have any siblings, so it's only the three of us. Do you guys have any siblings?

Guess what. Mrs. Burgess has told me that you also have summer holidays now - just like me! She also told me that I could keep the book over the summer, until you start school again, if I wanted to. And I think I will! You already have some questions to start off with in September, and then the book will travel on so that you can follow it on it's way!

I will read the book myself, and I will also bring it with me travelling a bit this summer, so that more people can read it!

Really looking forward to reading both the book and the letters that you have written!

I hope that you all are having great summer holidays!

Until September: Ha det bra!

Oh my! Have you seen? It's October already - almost November!

The Second-Grade Ape has travelled with me this summer, and it has stayed in Bergen with me this autumn. I really enjoyed the book, and I wish I could have such a pet!

I will send a message to hippolein, and when I recieve the address the book will travel on!

Thank you so much for passing it around!

The book is now travelling on to Finland!
See if you can find the travel route on a map! Not too far, actually.

Good luck on your travel, and good reading to hippolein!

Hello class and Mrs Burgess!

The book arrived safely in Finland today, more precisely in the capital of the country Helsinki. We're very glad it made it here, as it seems to have gotten stuck on the road :(

Now off to show my son the book and we'll try to read it during the next few days!