Amara and the Bats models ways student can channel their concerns for the environment into civic action. Its not uncommon these days for young readers to be aware of challenges facing our planet's ecosystems and their most vulnerable creatures. Amara and the Bats by #KidLit4Climate campaign founder, Emma Reynolds aims to inspire the next generation of… Continue reading Amara and the Bats
Month: September 2021
A letter from your teacher…
My back to school line up, with my new addition, front and center. Written by Shannon Olsen and illustrated but Sandie Sonke, this beautifully written letter written to students assuring them of teachers' hopes and dreams and sharing the true love and passion teachers have to support and help their students learn and grow. As… Continue reading A letter from your teacher…
I Do Not Like Yolanda
After a week of displaying welcome back to school and other feel good titles on my picture book easel, I put out I Do Not Like Yolanda by Zoey Abbott. I just let it sit there, unread, staring out into the classroom watching students. Each day I would head toward the easel, which also has… Continue reading I Do Not Like Yolanda
Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist MaVynee Betsch, written by Heidi Tyline King and illustrated by Ekua Holmes
I learned of this new release when I was visiting the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston this past August. At the very end of my afternoon tour, I rounded a corner and...it was "love at first sight". I was mesmerized and emotionally moved by this masterpiece: The young girl in the picture was highly… Continue reading Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist MaVynee Betsch, written by Heidi Tyline King and illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Palatero Man
Ring! Ring! Ring!Can you hear his call?Paletas for one! Paletas for all! When you read Palatero Man by Lucky Diaz to your students, you will quickly hear them joining in this joyful refrain. It’s a story of a young boy as he travels through his neighborhood in Los Angeles in search of the Palatero Man,… Continue reading Palatero Man
30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag by Amanda Davis
As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 neared, I found myself unsure of how to approach this sensitive topic with my young students. Thankfully, Amanda Davis and her debut picture book, 30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag, provided the perfect solution. In 30,000 Stitches, Amanda Davis delicately recounts the events of 9/11… Continue reading 30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the National 9/11 Flag by Amanda Davis
Honoring Our Names
Featuring Your Name is a Song Written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Luisa Uribe Perhaps you’ve been a student in a classroom when attendance is taken and the teacher trips over the pronunciation of your name. Or maybe you’ve experienced new friends who avoid saying your name completely, out of fear that they will… Continue reading Honoring Our Names
Pink is for Boys by Robb Pearlman
We enjoyed Pink is for Boys by Robb Pearlman and illustrated by Eda Kaban the first time and decided to revisit again. This story is told with a sentence per page and shares different colors are for anyone who wants to wear and embrace them. It also identifies objects in our lives that can be… Continue reading Pink is for Boys by Robb Pearlman
Welcome to Our Reading Community
I'd like you to think for a moment about what we might share with other kids and teachers about our reading community. What makes our reading community special? "We do Meet Someone New Monday." -N On Mondays, my students are introduced to someone who has contributed to the world in their own unique way. By… Continue reading Welcome to Our Reading Community
Using Podcasts in the Classroom
Last year I used podcasts in my fifth grade classroom for the first time. Here's what students had to say about them: "I like that I can just listen and not read a screen." “It's easier to take notes while I listen." “They are fun! I love them!" “Easy to understand." “I learned something new."… Continue reading Using Podcasts in the Classroom
The Roots of Rap
One of the best aspects of a new school year is it's a chance to start fresh, to try instructional moves that I haven't tried before. I'm going to share "new-to-me" techniques that I'm hoping will help my students discover books that otherwise might stay hidden in book baskets, help students access their multiple intelligences… Continue reading The Roots of Rap
A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty
A Small Kindness It’s easy to be kind when it’s a small problem, it’s hard to be kind when it’s a big problem. - Aiden, First Grader I had popped into this first grade classroom to relieve a busy teacher as they were wrapping up a discussion on kindness. Aiden floored me with this comment and… Continue reading A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty
Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles
This summer, I had the opportunity to lead a book club for a group of six rising fifth-graders. The group’s current pick is Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles. When Wes finds out his neighborhood is at risk of demolition due to an offer from a development group, he enlists his friends to… Continue reading Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles
When Grandfather Flew by Patricia MacLachlan
Our family has been going through a season of loss. I'm sure we aren't alone. Like any situation, happy or sad, we've turned to the world of children's literature to help us navigate tricky situations, big feelings, and to spark conversations. My nine year old daughter has been having a particularly hard time after we… Continue reading When Grandfather Flew by Patricia MacLachlan
Dozens of Doughnuts
I love infusing math time with math literature. And it’s all the better when the book is about doughnuts! Dozens of Doughnuts by my critique partner Carrie Finison and illustrated by Brianne Farley is a delightful, fun, and delicious book that kids will enjoy, served with a side of math. LouAnn the bear cooks up… Continue reading Dozens of Doughnuts
Extraordinary! Penny Harrison & Katie Wilson
As we begin this school year, perhaps a little unsettled from the last year and a half, our wonderful superintendent encouraged the educators in our district to ease into this year giving the students time to adjust, to settle in. She charged us with focusing on community building, the social emotional needs of each student.… Continue reading Extraordinary! Penny Harrison & Katie Wilson
Amira’s Picture Day
This week I had the pleasure of sharing an amazing story, Amira’s Picture Day by Reem Faruqi, with a family of 6 from my school. The students range in ages from 2-12 years old. Each child enjoyed the book and interacted in their own way. I was reminded of the importance of sharing books with… Continue reading Amira’s Picture Day
You Are Enough
I LOVE the book You Are Enough by Margaret O’Hair and inspired by Sofia Sanchez. The book starts with an introduction about Sofia who has Down syndrome. It is a description of her favorite things and how she is just like any other kid. It also describes some of the things that may be more… Continue reading You Are Enough
Superhero vs. School
Who doesn’t want their students to feel like superheroes? We all want to empower our kiddos to feel like they can do ANYTHING...even when that “anything” is a little scary. This book sets that scene perfectly! Written in quasi-comic book style, Superhero vs School, by Ethan Long, tells the take of Scotty, our caped hero! … Continue reading Superhero vs. School
Memory Jars
Memory Jars by Vera Brosgol My first introduction to author and illustrator Vera Brosgol was her middle-grade graphic novel, Be Prepared.* I loved her autobiographical story about sleep away camp and was delighted to learn she had written a picture book. In Memory Jars, which was released earlier in 2021, we meet a young girl… Continue reading Memory Jars
Mindful Mr. Sloth by Katy Hudson
Summer is behind us. For some, this is the first or second week of school. For others, it’s a prep week. For me, it’s prep, as well as Kindergarten orientation and screening. Like some of my colleagues, I’m most comfortable with a solid set of plans to start the year. This year, as always, I… Continue reading Mindful Mr. Sloth by Katy Hudson
The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom, by Felicia Rose Chavez
At heart, the Anti-Racist writing workshop imports a pedagogy of deep listening—Felicia Rose Chavez I highly recommend this book for all educators who teach reading and writing. While Chavez works mostly with adult students, and much of her focus in the book is about making thoughtful, purposeful changes in a college-level writing workshop, her basic… Continue reading The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom, by Felicia Rose Chavez