Sugar in Milk by Thrity Umrigar shares a timeless message of perspective through it's retelling of a Parsi legend. I have recently found myself imagining a fourth grade social studies “regions” unit centered on immigration, so it was only natural that I picked up Thrity Umrigar’s Sugar in Milk while recently browsing the library shelves.… Continue reading Sugar in Milk by Thrity Umrigar
Month: November 2021
The First Blade of Sweetgrass
Picture books and novels by Indigenous authors ABOUT Indigenous people are some of my favorite books to share with students all year long. The First Blade of Sweetgrass: A Native American Story by Suzanne Greenlaw, citizen of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and her husband, Gabriel Frey, citizen of the Passamaquoddy Nation, is one… Continue reading The First Blade of Sweetgrass
Gratitude
/ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/ noun - the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Every year at this time, I reflect on my life - especially the people and things for which I am most grateful. This year I am most thankful for a healthy family, a comfortable home, wonderful friends, experiencing… Continue reading Gratitude
JABARI TRIES by Gaia Cornwall
Young Jabari is determined to make his flying machine soar. But crashing planes, a pesky sister and failed attempts finally get him down. With some gentle encouragement and a new partner, Jabari is back at it and ready for success. This second title from author/illustrator Gaia Cornwall is beyond versatile and a must for all… Continue reading JABARI TRIES by Gaia Cornwall
History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics
by Kate Messner When will the pandemic be over? Will the vaccine give me Covid? Once I’m vaccinated will I still need to wear my mask? How do vaccines work, anyway? Kids all over the country are lining up to get their Covid-19 vaccinations. While adults everywhere hold their breaths, hoping that this will lead… Continue reading History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics
Saturday at the Food Pantry
Saturday at the Food Pantry by Diane O'Neill and illustrated by Brizida Magro was the perfect book to kick off a canned food drive we were doing at school. I expected it to do just that; introduce and explain what a food pantry was. Then I realized it was going have us thinking and feeling… Continue reading Saturday at the Food Pantry
Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem by Amanda Gorman
The world is changing, and people are growing by learning more and taking action."-- Fourth Grader Imagine my surprise on Inauguration Day when my partner texted me to share that he had gone ahead and preordered Amanda Gorman's children's book for my classroom! He just knew that my students and I needed it in our… Continue reading Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem by Amanda Gorman
Tomatoes for Neela
By: Padma Lakshmi Illustrated by: Juana Martinez-Neal Neela loves to cook with her amma. Neela and Amma go to the market to get tomatoes then they follow Paati’s recipe to make a batch of sauce. This beautifully illustrated picture book showcases the bond between family and food. Tomatoes for Neela brought back childhood memories of… Continue reading Tomatoes for Neela
Ten Beautiful Things
Recently on Twitter, Tara Lazar asked people to give a shout out to picture books published during the pandemic that they thought hadn't received enough attention. I read through the chat and stumbled upon this book. The beautiful cover and the title caught my attention. When I read the reviews and learned it was about… Continue reading Ten Beautiful Things
Explore the World
The minute I put books from the Explore the World series out in the classroom library, the kids grab them and start reading. These texts keep getting passed around the classroom, and I love that many titles are easy to read. These books are also my students' favorite go-to mentor texts. Today, a child created… Continue reading Explore the World
Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor
The second grade classes next door know I write for Teachers | Books | Readers, and they sent me a stack of letters encouraging me to write about Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor. Nabela Noor is a social media star - over 2 million followers on Instagram! And she uses her platforms to promote self-love… Continue reading Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor
The Last Firehawk and Scholastic Branches
This month marks the release of The Last Firehawk: The Secret Maze, which is the tenth book in the Last Firehawk series from the Scholastic Branches line. These chapter books are a huge hit in my third grade classroom. In fact, all of the books from the Scholastic Branches line are frequently in the hands… Continue reading The Last Firehawk and Scholastic Branches
Pip and Egg by Alex Latimer and David Litchfield
Pip and EggBy Alex Latimer and David Litchfield Last month, I shared a vision of comprehension work I can imagine, spanning and strengthening readers across grade levels. Earlier this month, I was tasked with providing professional development for our district's first grade teachers. We have recently implemented an updated version of a popular reading assessment.… Continue reading Pip and Egg by Alex Latimer and David Litchfield
Thank You, Omu!
In anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday I read an award winning picture book by Oge Mora, Thank You, Omu! I wanted to share a book about gratitude that wasn’t about a turkey because for some students in our classrooms, their families don’t celebrate with a traditional Thanksgiving meal. And for BIPOC Thanksgiving books, this book… Continue reading Thank You, Omu!
The Wisdom of Trees by Lita Judge
Lita Judge crafts a dual informational/poetry books where she images the voice of the trees through poetry and explains the science of tree communities through sidebars. Take a journey with your students through this amazing versatile author's creative process outlined here in her own voice, identify the author's craft moves in this truly unique book,… Continue reading The Wisdom of Trees by Lita Judge
Kindness Grows
Thank you @BTeckentrup and @tigertalesbooks for this wonderful reminder that Kindness Matters. A must read for everyone!
A Bowl Full of Peace A True Story
“She can no longer be silent about what happened to her. She must tell her story. The world must know that such a bomb can never be used again.” A Bowl Full of Peace is a deeply moving nonfiction picture book. Caren Stelson shares the story of Sachiko’s family who lived in Nagasaki, Japan before… Continue reading A Bowl Full of Peace A True Story
Happy Diwali!
When we first moved into our neighborhood over a decade ago, I remember noticing at the end of October that many of our neighbors began decorating their houses with bright strands of lights. I watched this happen year after year and always thought they were so beautiful, but I didn’t understand the significance of them. … Continue reading Happy Diwali!
The Color Monster by Anna Llenas
Art therapist, author and illustrator, Anna Llenas, delivers with this tale, The Color Monster. As the story unfurls, we meet Color Monster. Take a look at a clip of our Kindergartners’ dramatization. Color monster: (With hands on either side of his face like Munch’s iconic Scream) “OMG, I’m all mixed up! This is like really… Continue reading The Color Monster by Anna Llenas
Zonia’s Rain Forest, written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
We all must answer. Zonia lives with her loved ones in her home in the Amazon rain forest. Each day the rain forest calls for her to explore, and she does. She greets the many animals of the forest, the Blue morpho butterfly, the Hoffman’s two-toed sloth, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, the Amazon river dolphin, and… Continue reading Zonia’s Rain Forest, written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal