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I clearly remember sitting in front of a first grade class reading Over and Under the Snow, by Kate Messner. Their little eyes, glued to each page, their minds studying each and every page, studying and learning. Over and Under the Rainforest, Kate Messner's newest release, is another beautifully told and magically illustrated book that… Continue reading Over and Under the Rainforest

I Believe I Can by Grace Byers I Believe I Can, written by Grace Byers, is about feeling good about yourself and believing that there are no boundaries to what you can do. Grace Byers also wrote the book I Am Enough, which is about knowing and loving who you are. I have used both… Continue reading

I love to observe.  I came into myself as a writer through observing through line drawings.  Over the years, I’ve really honed in on trees, plants and nature when I need to calm my mind and find ideas for writing. Nature All Around: Trees by Pamela Hickman, illustrated by Carolyn Gavin is a treasure of… Continue reading Nature All Around – Trees

...and don't we all need to breathe a little right now? This beautiful book by Dr. Melissa Munro Boyd is fully named: B Is For Breathe The ABCs of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings" Dr. Melissa Munro Boyd is a Clinical Psychologist and United States Army officer who works with behavioral health disorders and… Continue reading B Is For Breathe

As I am sure most teachers discovered, it was a challenge to keep students engaged with remote learning as we entered May and June.  To combat the remote learning blues, I decided to focus on graphic novels with my fifth graders.  I was able to find Nathan Hale’s graphic novels on Epic, so students could… Continue reading The Power of Graphic Novels

This is the time of year that I find myself reading through stacks of books, books that I have picked up over the year that I haven't gotten a chance to read. I am always on the look out for books that I can share with classroom teachers, books that may be incorporated into professional… Continue reading Summer Reading Stacks

If you loved Marshfield Dreams by Ralph Fletcher then you will surely love his follow up collection of stories captured in Marshfield Memories. Ralph, the oldest of nine kids in his family brings his childhood stories to life. In Marshfield Memories we are reintroduced to the Fletcher clan and many new adventures that they had… Continue reading Marshfield Memories : More Stories About Growing Up by Ralph Fletcher

I thought I would share an online resource that I have been using effectively with my fifth graders - TrueFlix from Scholastic.  https://www.scholastic.com/digital/trueflix.htm As you can see, they are offering a free trial.  The reading level has been perfect for my fifth graders, and each book is accompanied by an informative video.  There is an… Continue reading Online Resource: TrueFlix from Scholastic

This post is a collaboration with Mrs. Cristan's 2nd grade students. I am a Wolf by Kelly Leigh Miller is the story of Wolf. The dog acts like a tough guy but he really just wants to be loved. This is his story of how he gets to a dog shelter and what happens to… Continue reading I Am A Wolf By Kelly Leigh Miller

The long-awaited book is finally here! Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Scott Magoon do it again in their collaboration over the last book of their "utensils" series... Straw! First there was Spoon. Then came Chopsticks. And now the last Straw" Second grade students were anticipating the book's release and were thrilled when it arrived. They soaked it in during… Continue reading Straw by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Positive poetry for all children, especially girls. In Just Like Me Vanessa Brantley-Newton gives a poetic voice to girls. The poems highlight happy times, sad times, silly times, insecure times and so much more. This a perfect mentor text for poetry units. Children will love reading through these poems to find themselves in the pages.… Continue reading Just Like Me

This post is written by 5th grade student, Saphira. I am a 5th grade girl who wants to break barriers. Right now I have relaunched our school's book swap. This is a place where kids can come and bring a book from home and swap out for a new book. I love books and reading.… Continue reading Girls with Guts! The Road to Breaking Barriers and Bashing Records By Debbie Gonzales

Second Graders loved the characters in this sequel to "I'm Bored", which included the same girl and beloved potato. The flamingo in "I'm Sad" allowed students to see that sometimes leaning into the sadness is the best way to navigate your feelings. Students responded to the text by writing about their favorite characters, the author's… Continue reading I’m Sad by Michael Ian Black

A Place to Land by Barry Wittenstein and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is a vivid and concise retelling of the events that led up to Dr. King’s momentous I Have A Dream speech. Wittenstein and Pinkney give the readers a behind the scenes look into the night before the big speech. The illustrations and time… Continue reading A Place to Land

Meet Norris and Elba. Maybe Tomorrow by author Charlotte Agell is one of my favorite titles of the year. You can imagine my delight when I learned that Charlotte was a Maine author and educator. Maybe Tomorrow is the story of Elba, a hippopotamus who carries around a heavy block. And it's the story of… Continue reading Maybe Tomorrow by Charlotte Agell

I Miss My Grandpa, written by Jin Xiaojing, is about a girl who misses her grandpa whom she never met. Her grandma, along with other members of the family, help the girl learn about her grandpa by comparing the traits of different family members to those of her grandpa. This helped the girl develop a… Continue reading I Miss My Grandpa by Jin Xiaojing

I must admit that I didn’t know about the Children’s Crusade of 1963 until I read this book.  I was awed by the commitment and bravery of these children who marched in protest of segregation and significantly impacted the Civil Rights Movement.  Martin Luther King reflected on this event writing, “Looking back, it is clear… Continue reading Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson and illustrated by Frank Morrison

This book told me that I don't have to be like everybody else" - John, Grade 2 The picture book version of the well-loved Wonder brings the character of Auggie into the lives of younger students who can benefit from the simple yet powerful lesson...       be kind. Second graders adored this story and… Continue reading We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio

Along the Tapajós will transport you to Brazil with it's beautiful illustrations.

A Favorite Among Kindergarten Students We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins is sure to bring a smile to students. This book is pure enjoyment. It has an action filled plot and a lovable child-eating dinosaur that will engage young learners and grab at their hearts. I read the story to 18 kindergartners.… Continue reading We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

“Fearlessly honest and heartbreakingly human. Everyone should read this book.” -Becky Albertalli, William C. Morris Award–winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda   This powerful book, which has been made into a hit movie, beautifully and honestly addresses the issues of racism, resilience, and so much more. It tells the story of a… Continue reading The Hate U Give

 I Am Perfectly Designed by Karamo Brown (Author), Jason "Rachel" Brown (Author), Anoosha Syed (Illustrator) is a beautifully illustrated book that highlights the love between a father and a son. When Karamo Brown, from Netflix Queer Eye, discovered that he had a ten-year-old son he adopted him. The love between the two is the focal… Continue reading “An ode to loving who you, exactly as you are.”

Maine author and illustrator Matt Tavares is a favorite among teachers and students here in Waterville, Maine. His latest book Dasher was our December read for our, What's New in Children's Literature book group. Teacher's Thoughts... After years of knowing Christmas reindeer stories, it never occurred to me that some of the antlered reindeer might… Continue reading Dasher by Matt Tavares

Friendship comes in many forms... sometimes in those of a sloth and a fox. Follow these unlikely friends through a day in their lives and see how opposites truly do attract! These second grade friends LOVED sharing Jasper & Ollie's story with each other! A good book to read - we give it 2 thumbs… Continue reading Jasper & Ollie by Alex Willan

Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison is a beautiful story/folktale about a little girl who is not happy with the midnight color of her skin. Sulwe tells the complex story of what it's feels like to be unhappy in one's skin. One evening Sulwe goes on a magical journey. On her journey she… Continue reading Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o

This is the story of JoJo who decides to sleep in her own bedroom rather than with her older sister, Margaret.  Margaret assures JoJo that she will be back. As JoJo settles in for the night, she is visited by a variety of animals, and the story of her getting rid of the animals begins. … Continue reading This is My Room! ( No Tigers Allowed) by Jennifer Richard Jacobson