Month: May 2021

“Johnny’s Pheasant” written by Cheryl Minnema and illustrated by Julie Flett is a story inspired by the author’s younger brother Johnny and her grandmother. In the story, the two characters happen upon a pheasant lying in the grass. Grandma and Johnny have two very different reactions to the pheasant which leads to a surprise at the… Continue reading Johnny’s Pheasant

Featuring Measuring Up by Lily Lamotte and Illustrated by Ann Xu Immersing our children in diverse literature is on the forefront of many of our minds. We fill our classroom libraries and family bookshelves with stories that feature heterogeneous arrays of main characters. All diverse books, however, are not created equal. In a commitment to… Continue reading Honoring Own Voices Literature

My eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea are a revolution.--Joanna Ho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFz0wktGr2k Author Joanna Ho reads her new picture book, Eyes That Kiss in the Corners. Lines We Love "I have eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea.""Her eyes are filled with so many stories; I… Continue reading Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho

From the first year that we transitioned to teaching with authentic literature through the Reader’s Workshop model to last spring, my classroom library grew exponentially.  Anytime I heard about new books being published, I ran to the local bookstore and grabbed them.  I follow several blogs and twitter accounts that are focused on children’s literature.… Continue reading Gert and the Sacred Stones

A must have book for upper elementary classrooms On April fifth, I found myself in a strange situation of having to create a classroom community out of two separate cohorts for the remaining ten weeks of the school year. A few of the questions running through my mind were: How do I do that when… Continue reading A Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters

"Wow. Look at all those books!" This is exactly the reaction I want as kids enter the classroom and find a giant pile of books on the rug. Yes, before a new unit of study that is exactly what I do - I let the children wade through a pile and touch all of the… Continue reading Look at all Those Books! Co-Constructing the Classroom Library

As the days get warmer, my third graders and I are celebrating a year of books read and stories shared. My colleagues and I are thinking about how to support readers in carrying their reading momentum through the summer and beyond. In today's post, I'll share some ideas for supporting summer reading. If you have… Continue reading Summer Reading 2021

Starfish By Lisa Fipps Starfish by Lisa Fipps is a book I wish someone had handed me as a child. When my pre-ordered copy finally arrived, my almost nine year old daughter, Wren, got to the book before I even had a chance. At first, I wasn’t sure if the book would be appropriate, but… Continue reading Starfish by Lisa Fipps

All year I've tried different ways to organize small groups with my first graders while teaching in a socially distanced classroom. Finally, I think I've figured out a system that I'll keep even when staying six feet apart is a thing of the past. At the beginning of the week, I create a slide to… Continue reading Who Would Like to Join Us?

Written by Carrie Finison and Drawings by Daniel Wiseman Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) is a charming story about personal boundaries.  Doug only likes just right hugs from his mom at bedtime.  He likes many other things, like his rock collection and high fives.  Also, Doug explains that he likes YOU, just not… Continue reading Don’t Hug Doug

Written by Nikki Grimes & Illustrated by Wendell Minor "Whoa! This book is full of such descriptive language!" "Whoa! This book is FULL of descriptive language!" "This makes everything I'm learning in social studies about the southwest region come alive!" "Is there information in the back about all the different plants and animals in this… Continue reading Southwest Sunrise

“If you look for the bad in people, expecting to find it, you surely will.” Abraham Lincoln. I remember discussing this quote with my mom, after I’d heard it on one of my favorite childhood movies, Pollyanna. Hardly anyone in the town of Harrington cared to attend Sunday service as the minister was sure to… Continue reading Hello World! By Kelly Corrigan and Stacy Ebert