Summer is here and that means, SUMMER READING!!! It is a great time to catch up on the books that I have been meaning to read for students and for myself. Summer is also a great time to visit the library and not just my local library, but the libraries in the towns that I… Continue reading My Summer Stacks
Month: June 2022
Another Smash Hit for Kate Messner!
With History Smashers: The Underground Railroad. My kids and I always love when non-fiction text reads with the excitement and page-flippability of fiction. That is part of why we can’t get enough of Messner’s History Smashers series. I thought that I knew the story of the Underground Railroad. That was, until I read this book.… Continue reading Another Smash Hit for Kate Messner!
MQ Summer Stack
We are one short school day from summer break in Natick, MA. This weekend, I browsed the children's section at the bookstore, reminded myself of books I saved on Twitter and my camera roll, and began requesting some titles online from the library network. When summer hits, I always have ambitious goals as I try… Continue reading MQ Summer Stack
Cece Rios and the Desert Of Souls by Kaela Rivera
Once a year, I pick five novels and read the flap copy to the students. Then, the class votes on which book they want for our class read aloud. From looking at covers, everyone said they were going to vote for Inkling by Kenneth Oppal. But as soon as I read the flap copy for… Continue reading Cece Rios and the Desert Of Souls by Kaela Rivera
The Tale of the Mandarin Duck By Bette Midler and Photos by Michiko Kakutani
The Tale of the Mandarin DuckBy Bette MidlerPhotos by Michiko Kakutani The Tale of the Mandarin Duck by Bette Midler and Michiko Kakutani is a tale of modern society. It starts off describing the social beings in a time when "they looked each other in the eye, and pretty much liked what they saw." And… Continue reading The Tale of the Mandarin Duck By Bette Midler and Photos by Michiko Kakutani
Luli and the Language of Tea
Food is a way to connect all cultures. So when I read about Andrea Wang's newest book, I had to reserve it at my library! I also connected to this book because the word for tea in Korean is the same in Chinese, "cha." The story starts on the end papers showing parents going to… Continue reading Luli and the Language of Tea
How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival
I will tell you something that I have realized about myself. I look at books as mentors first these days. I hope to find the perfect books to show students how authors do what they do and they, the students, can be the same kind of writers. Books that show a fresh way of doing… Continue reading How to Say Hello to a Worm by Kari Percival
What If, Pig?
What if Pig?, by Linzie Hunter, recognizes the worry-er in all of us. Pig appears to be a put together, thoughtful, kind, considerate friend. But when Pig sets out to throw a party for his friends, we see the worry he has under his calm, cool exterior. Pig has some reasonable worries - such as… Continue reading What If, Pig?
The Road to After by Rebekah Lowell
I have a list of books tucked into my notebook that I keep close to my heart: books that I’ve hugged as soon as I’ve turned the last page. These books have touched me so viscerally and powerfully that I literally did not want to let them go and therefore, I hugged them. This book… Continue reading The Road to After by Rebekah Lowell
Because I had a Teacher by Kobe Yamada and Natalie Russell
As we prepare for summer vacation, I’ve been on the hunt for that ”just right” addition to teachers’ gifts. Well, I found a treasure that can solidly stand on its own. Kobi Yamada has a wonderful collection of gift books for a myriad of occasions. In my search, I found this panegyric on teachers. The… Continue reading Because I had a Teacher by Kobe Yamada and Natalie Russell