Calvin by JR and Vanessa Ford. Illustrated by Kayla Harren Children have a way of demonstrating the confidence and curiosity necessary to have courageous conversations better than most adults. Their words may not always be tactful, but a child’s sense of what’s fair and how to make space for others can strike at the heart… Continue reading Affirming Transgender Students with Calvin
Month: December 2021
Let’s Just Listen
As this year comes to a close, I sit here reflecting upon what has been yet another year of unprecedented times worldwide. As people and as educators we have continued to navigate higher expectations, new challenges, and even more to do. It has felt overwhelming, exhausting, and at times, defeating. The 'never enough' mentality is… Continue reading Let’s Just Listen
Sisters of the Neversea
In early November, I read Sisters of the Neversea, by Cynthia Leitich Smith. It is wonderful!! It is a modern version of Peter Pan with two sisters in a blended family as the heroines. Lily, one of the sisters, is Muscogee Creek and Wendy, the other sister, is from England. They share a half brother,… Continue reading Sisters of the Neversea
Room for Everyone, written by Naaz Khan and illustrated by Mercè López
This newly released adventure story features Musa and his sister as they ride via daladala to the Tanzanian shore. The minibus quickly becomes excessively crowded as the bus driver welcomes more and more passengers onto the bus to escape the heat of the day. The book’s word choice itself is a fun-filled adventure for readers!… Continue reading Room for Everyone, written by Naaz Khan and illustrated by Mercè López
Kiyoshi’s Walk
A series of haiku wrapped in narrative, KIYOSHI'S WALK by Mark Karlins with illustrations by Nicole Wong is the perfect introduction to haiku and “finding” poetry in everyday situations. After Kiyoshi asks his grandfather where poems come from, he is taken on a walk through the city to discover the answer for himself. From seeing… Continue reading Kiyoshi’s Walk
Rez Dogs
by Joseph Bruchac The fifth graders at our little elementary school in suburban New England are in the midst of an immersive poetry unit. Before beginning this unit of study, our 10 and 11 year-olds thought they knew all that poetry had to offer….boy, were they wrong! In recent weeks, our students have engaged in… Continue reading Rez Dogs
Book Series We Love
“Mrs. Doyle…do we have the next (insert title of series here)?” I’ve been hearing this a lot lately. Sometimes I can point to where the book is in the classroom. But, sometimes, the books haven’t been written or released yet. Here are a few books my fifth graders are (im)patiently waiting for: Hilo: Book 8--Gina and… Continue reading Book Series We Love
Between Us and Abuela
When I hear the word “tone,” music bars swell inside my mind. But of course tone doesn’t just apply to music, books have tones, too. However, I don’t think we discuss the tone of books very often, even as adults. While I’m sure I talked about a book’s tone during my Masters of Fine Arts… Continue reading Between Us and Abuela
Third Grade Book Talks
Book talks are a cherished tradition in my third grade classroom. Students sign up for a day of the month, giving the title of a book they have recently read that they'd like to share with the class. When the day arrives, the student has a few minutes to share a brief synopsis with the… Continue reading Third Grade Book Talks
Trying, Written by Kobi Yamada and Illustrated by Elise Hurst
Written by Kobi YamadaIllustrated by Elise Hurst Trying, written by Kobi Yamada and illustrated by Elise Hurst, spoke to my teacher heart. It especially spoke to my teaching heart in these strange and unusual times, where the obstacles we are all facing sometimes feel insurmountable. ...disappointment hurts. But failure is temporary, and in many ways,… Continue reading Trying, Written by Kobi Yamada and Illustrated by Elise Hurst
Words to Make a Friend
Here in the Midwest, we’ve had some wintry weather already. Words to Make a Friend: A Story in Japanese and English by Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Naoko Stoop is a beautiful story of friendship. A Japanese girl moves to a new neighborhood and sees the neighbor girl outside building a snowman. She puts on… Continue reading Words to Make a Friend
What’s Inside a Flower? by Rachel Ignotofsky
What's Inside a Flower? and other questions about Science & Nature by Rachel Ignotofsky From the beauty and diversity of flowers to the steps involved in pollination, Rachel Ignotofsky breaks down every part of a flower and its place on earth in her stunningly beautiful book, What's Inside a Flower?. She modestly describes her purpose… Continue reading What’s Inside a Flower? by Rachel Ignotofsky
Red and Green and Blue and White, by Lee Wind
A book based on true events that took place in Billings, Montana in 1993, Red and Green and Blue and White, by Lee Wind, is a tale of UPstanding as opposed to BYstanding. The main characters, Teresa and Isaac, live in a town, not different from many of us, that gets lit up in bright… Continue reading Red and Green and Blue and White, by Lee Wind
The Circles All around Us
by Brad and Kristi Montague Sometimes we struggle to teach our children how to navigate those facets of life in which we are continuous learners. It is a constant grapple for us to understand and attend to the dynamic network of relationships that constitutes human social systems. In this book, The Circles All Around Us,… Continue reading The Circles All around Us
A Walk in the Words by Hudson Talbott
Everywhere I looked, there were—BIG words! STRANGE words! SCARY words! A Walk in the Words is an inspiration. Author and illustrator, Hudson Talbott, shares his childhood story of his challenge with reading. He loved to draw, and he did it all the time. He also liked words. He would visualize each word as a picture.… Continue reading A Walk in the Words by Hudson Talbott