Dad Bakes by Katie Yamasaki When I first encountered Dad Bakes on the “New Picturebooks” shelves of my local library I didn’t have any expectations beyond a read-aloud to compliment a cold weekend after some father-son baking time. When flour finally returned to shelves a few months into the initial on-set of the pandemic, baking… Continue reading Dad Bakes by Katie Yamasaki
Month: January 2022
Uma Wimple Charts Her House
Every year for my birthday, my daughter searches the shelves at her favorite indie bookstore, Market Block Books in Troy, NY, to find just the right picture book for me. This past year she chose, Uma Wimple Charts Her House by Reif Larsen and Ben Gibson. My daughter is an engineer; she has always loved… Continue reading Uma Wimple Charts Her House
Built Together, written by Mina Starsiak and illustrated by Barbara Bongini
Known for the HGTV home renovation series, Good Bones, Built Together is Mina Starsiak’s first children’s book. It is a book about LOVE, as Starsiak explains: “This book comes from my heart – I wanted to show that families can come in all forms and look a little different – just like houses – and… Continue reading Built Together, written by Mina Starsiak and illustrated by Barbara Bongini
We Are Water Protectors
Do you strive to read books with powerful messages? Do you strive to read books with powerful language? Do you strive to read books written by authors who present an image of life that might be different from those of your students? This stunning, powerful, Caldecott Award winning picture book, “We are Water Protectors” written… Continue reading We Are Water Protectors
She Persisted: Ruby Bridges
She Persisted: Ruby Bridges by Kekla Magoon Julia Soucy, 8th grade student, shares her thoughts of the She Persisted series, including She Persisted: Ruby Bridges. Julia's observations: Themes and lessons put in a good way for younger children to understand. Has pictures so that students can better visualize the story and further understand what they… Continue reading She Persisted: Ruby Bridges
The Vanishing Lake
by Paddy Donnelly Children are sponges. From the moment they’re born, they learn through experiencing the world around them with all of their senses. If we were to quantify the amount of new information and skill that young children learn on a daily basis, the number would be staggering. Why do they learn so much,… Continue reading The Vanishing Lake
Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85k-Shaj254 For the last couple of weeks, I've been enjoying this collection bit by bit. Thanks to Libby App, I have been able to enjoy each story as a read aloud -- in the car, when walking or on my couch with my paperback copy. The introduction, crafted by editors S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed,… Continue reading Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices
Magic Like That
A young Black girl wonders what kind of magical hairstyle her mother will create in Magic Like That by Samara Doyon Cole. Page by page, the reader is invited along as Doyon weaves themes of identity and self-confidence with her own magic of rhythmic poetic text. Geneva Bowers’ bold and engaging illustrations bring this magic… Continue reading Magic Like That
Watercress
The ALA Youth Media Awards are a week away so I could write this post about why I think Watercress by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin will be an award winner. Instead, I am going to write about how Watercress can be used in the classroom to support social emotional learning. We have… Continue reading Watercress
A Book that has Changed my Teaching
Thanks to my grade-level colleagues, I have a new collection of Aesop Fables that changed the way I teach traditional tales. You see, this book isn't a typical collection of Aesop's Fables. The text begins with a story about Aesop – how he was enslaved, how his family was treated, and he created these stories… Continue reading A Book that has Changed my Teaching
Inquiry & Research Resources for Kids
Our third grade class is kicking off 2022 with wonder. As we begin our expository nonfiction research unit, students are identifying topics of interest and brainstorming questions they would like to learn more about. From muscles to miniature pinschers to the universe, there are so many topics we'd like to explore. So where do we… Continue reading Inquiry & Research Resources for Kids
Listen Written by Gabi Synder and Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
Listen Written By Gabi SnyderIllustrated by Stephanie Graegin Close your eyes. Listen. What do you hear? At first, you might just hear noise. But, if you really focus, what sounds do you hear? As I sit here typing, I hear the whir of the refrigerator behind me, the clicking of keys as I type, and… Continue reading Listen Written by Gabi Synder and Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
Circle Round
Circle Round by Anne Sibley O'Brien, illustrated by Hanna Cha is a lovely book I discovered that can be used with multiple hooks in the classroom. First, it's a simple counting book and book about circular items. Second, it's a beautiful picture book of inclusion, featuring a diverse cast of children who include everyone in… Continue reading Circle Round
When My Cousins Come to Town
When My Cousins Come to Town by Angela Shanté When My Cousins Come to Town is a love letter to all that a big family of cousins has to offer, summers with grandma, the give and take of lots of kids together, the special bond that can form, and the trying out of new versions… Continue reading When My Cousins Come to Town
Ambitious Girl, by Meena Harris
In Ambitious Girl, by Meena Harris, a young girl sees a woman on TV that is being described as “too ambitious, too persistent, too confident, too proud, too assertive, and too loud.” She is very concerned by this and it leads her on a path of reflection about what those words mean. She begins to… Continue reading Ambitious Girl, by Meena Harris
I Am the Subway
"I rattle and clatter over the tracks. Same time, same route, every day. Carrying people from one place to another, I travel over the ground and rumble under, twice across the wide Han River. Around I go, around and around. Crowds of people wait to climb aboard. ba-dum, ba-dum..." These words unfold across the first… Continue reading I Am the Subway
Letter Writing: Building and Maintaining Relationships
Dear Readers, As the second show I’ve tried to watch today watches me, these oldies but, goodies are running through my head; Dear Mr. Blueberry, Can I be Your Dog?, Dear Primo, Dear Mrs. LaRue, The Jolly Postman and Other People’s Letters, Letters from Maisy, Dear Juno, Dragon Post… An idea is brewing. Over the… Continue reading Letter Writing: Building and Maintaining Relationships
Layla and the BOTS Cupcake Fix by Vicky Fang and illustrated by Christine Nishiyama
Whenever Layla and the Bots get together, awesome things happen. Happy 2022! What awesome things are you planning for your students and classroom in the new year? I love teaching in January. It’s a month where I observe the most growth in my students as readers. Their stamina increases, their inferences deepen, and their willingness… Continue reading Layla and the BOTS Cupcake Fix by Vicky Fang and illustrated by Christine Nishiyama