Have you ever had trouble with a best friend? How did you solve it? These were the questions my students discussed before reading Bravo Anjali, the follow-up to Sheth’s Always Anjali. Anjali is learning to play tabla despite it being an instrument that is typically played by boys. Her friend, Deepek, takes lessons with her,… Continue reading Bravo Anjali by Sheetal Sheth and illustrated by Lucia Soto
Author: Jody Little
Chester van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen and illustrated by Abby Hanlon
"There once was a youngster named Chester van Chime, who woke up one day and forgot how to...make words sound alike." April is National Poetry Month, and my students and I kicked it off with a hilarious new picture book by Avery Monsen. Chester van Chime loves to rhyme, but one day he wakes, and… Continue reading Chester van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen and illustrated by Abby Hanlon
The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael López
“Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing.” Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López, creators of The Day You Begin, collaborate once again on this beautiful new picture book. Inspired by the stories and strength of enslaved people, Woodson pens a… Continue reading The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Rafael López
Amah Faraway by Margaret Chiu Greanias and illustrated by Tracy Subisak
One lived in Taipei. One lived in San Francisco. The conversations among my third graders began immediately when I shared the cover of this book. “My grandma lives in India, and we video chat with her every day!” “I have one grandma in England and one in China!” “We Zoom with my grandparents every Saturday.”… Continue reading Amah Faraway by Margaret Chiu Greanias and illustrated by Tracy Subisak
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
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
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
Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat
Bina has three older brothers who annoy her and call her silly names, but she loves them anyway. When Raksha Bandhan, a holiday for brothers and sisters nears, Bina wants to make bracelets for her brothers to keep them safe. After asking each brother his favorite color, Bina and her mother buy beads. While making… Continue reading Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat
The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom, by Felicia Rose Chavez
At heart, the Anti-Racist writing workshop imports a pedagogy of deep listening—Felicia Rose Chavez I highly recommend this book for all educators who teach reading and writing. While Chavez works mostly with adult students, and much of her focus in the book is about making thoughtful, purposeful changes in a college-level writing workshop, her basic… Continue reading The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom, by Felicia Rose Chavez
Summer Stacks
It has been a joy to join the TBR blog this school year. Like so many of you, the year has been filled with challenges, and I am grateful for the rejuvenation that the next two months will provide. Here are a few of my summer book stacks. Professional books Children's books Adult books
Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson
“Maybe you can’t really know anyone just by looking at their face.” The newest book by author Matt de la Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson (Last Stop on Market Street and Carmela Full of Wishes) is masterful. It is a picture book that begs the reader to slow down, to look, to think, and to… Continue reading Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson
Planet Omar Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian and illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik
My name is Omar—this is my face. I have a HUGE imagination. I hate carrots. I once raced against my dad’s car on my bike—and won! Finding wonderful new chapter books for read aloud has been my quest this school year. I was so pleased to discover Planet Omar Accidental Trouble Magnet by #ownvoices author… Continue reading Planet Omar Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian and illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik
I Am the Storm by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell
Some picture books provide just the right inspiration and framework for poetry writing in the classroom. I Am the Storm by Jane Yolen and her daughter, Heidi E. Y. Stemple, is one of those books. The text and vivid illustrations by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell beautifully and succinctly describe four types of powerful storms: tornados,… Continue reading I Am the Storm by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell
My Furry Foster Family Series by Debbi Michiko Florence and illustrated by Melanie Demmer
What I love most about teaching third grade is seeing the tremendous growth in my student's reading, particularly in their voracious love of chapter books. I’m always on the lookout for new series to introduce to my students. So when I discovered that Debbi Michiko Florence (author of the Jasmine Toguchi books) had written a… Continue reading My Furry Foster Family Series by Debbi Michiko Florence and illustrated by Melanie Demmer
Seven Golden Rings: A Tale of Music and Math by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
I am ringing in the new year with great hope and anticipation of better days ahead. I’m hoping to see my students faces in person and not on the checkerboard of Zoom. I’m hoping to put some of the great books from my classroom library right into their hands. Last month, I had the pleasure… Continue reading Seven Golden Rings: A Tale of Music and Math by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan
Teaching remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging and frustrating, but one thing has remained steadfast—my belief in the power of books to connect. This belief was reconfirmed when I read the picture book, The Arabic Quilt, to my third graders during our morning Classroom Book-a-day. Together, Aya Khalil and illustrator Anait Semirdzhyan tell… Continue reading The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan
Binny’s Diwali by Thrity Umrigar and illustrated by Nidhi Chanani
What a joy to discover Binny’s Diwali written by Thrity Umrigar and colorfully illustrated by Nidhi Chanani. Binny is excited but nervous the day of her class presentation on Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Her mother has set out a special Indian outfit for her to wear, and she even gets to eat warm jalebis… Continue reading Binny’s Diwali by Thrity Umrigar and illustrated by Nidhi Chanani
The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts, written by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Mike Curato
Sometimes One can feel like a small and lonely number. One teacher sits alone in her home classroom. One third grader tries to find a quiet place in a bedroom, dining room, or kitchen. We are each one square in a checkerboard of faces on our screens. The oneness of teaching and learning from home… Continue reading The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts, written by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Mike Curato
Lift by Minh Lê and Dan Santat
A girl. An elevator. A magic button. Have you ever wanted to press a button to open a door into a new world or exciting environment? I imagined this often as a child, and now, during this time of COVID-19, I find myself wishing it again! Young Iris gets that experience in the new picture… Continue reading Lift by Minh Lê and Dan Santat
Can I Give You A Squish?
It’s a tremendous honor to join the TBR blog this school year. I am beginning my twentieth year as an educator, and my sixth year working with third graders. I’m looking forward to sharing books, building my library, and creating a passionate reading community in my classroom. I recently found out that my school district… Continue reading Can I Give You A Squish?