Scholastic StoryworksCinderella: The True Story by Louise Rozett and Monique D. Hall How do you engage students the day before vacation? How do you engage students the day before vacation after two days of ELA state testing? On Friday, I decided that READERS' THEATER was the way to go. Readers’ theater is a great way for students to practice reading… Continue reading Readers’ Theater
Author: Kim Doyle
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
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
Tomatoes for Neela
By: Padma Lakshmi Illustrated by: Juana Martinez-Neal Neela loves to cook with her amma. Neela and Amma go to the market to get tomatoes then they follow Paati’s recipe to make a batch of sauce. This beautifully illustrated picture book showcases the bond between family and food. Tomatoes for Neela brought back childhood memories of… Continue reading Tomatoes for Neela
Using Podcasts in the Classroom
Last year I used podcasts in my fifth grade classroom for the first time. Here's what students had to say about them: "I like that I can just listen and not read a screen." “It's easier to take notes while I listen." “They are fun! I love them!" “Easy to understand." “I learned something new."… Continue reading Using Podcasts in the Classroom
Summer Reading Plan
What are you reading, Mrs. Doyle? This question caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting it. Seconds ticked by as I scrambled for a way to answer. What do I say? At the time I was in a virtual read aloud lunch chat with some students. We were talking about how the read aloud was… Continue reading Summer Reading Plan
The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
Styx came to us like magic—the really, really powerful kind. There was no grand puff of smoke or anything, but he appeared as if from nowhere, right in our very own woods. The Season of Styx Malone begins with brothers Caleb and Bobby Gene inadvertently trading their baby sister for a bag of fireworks which… Continue reading The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods
"Whenever possible, you gotta try to see the goings on of life through more eyes than just your own, because that can help you see things more clearly.” This historical fiction novel takes place in a small southern town, and highlights the mistreatment of black World War II veterans in the years following the war.… Continue reading The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods
A Map into the World by Kao Kalia Yang illustrated by Seo Kim
"I started my picture with a teardrop. And then I made it splatter like sunshine." At the beginning of October this caught my attention while Twitter browsing: Completely intrigued, I kept reading. And, in true If You Give a Mouse a Cookie form, was led to this: https://lernerbooks.blog/2019/10/a-map-into-the-world-the-story-behind-the-book.html Then this: https://lernerbooks.blog/2019/10/art-director-notes-a-map-into-the-world.html So, I requested A… Continue reading A Map into the World by Kao Kalia Yang illustrated by Seo Kim
Red Panda & Moon Bear by Jarod Roselló
Siblings with superpowers?Magic hoodies?Brain stretching vocabulary?Laugh out loud silliness?What's not to love about this graphic novel by Jarod Roselló? I began reading Red Panda & Moon Bear one day as I waited for my students to arrive back from recess. I found myself laughing out loud right from the beginning, and it didn’t take long… Continue reading Red Panda & Moon Bear by Jarod Roselló
Inky’s Amazing Escape by Sy Montgomery illustrated by Amy Shimler-Saford
This engaging book cover caught my eye during a summer stroll through the picture book stacks of my favorite library. I picked it up, sat down and read all about Inky’s escape from New Zealand’s National Aquarium. When I was done, I knew I had a new mentor text to use with my fifth-grade writers.… Continue reading Inky’s Amazing Escape by Sy Montgomery illustrated by Amy Shimler-Saford
Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera illustrated by Lauren Castillo
Kids shared: “I think that the author is trying to let us know that we can be anything we want to be. I don’t think he is telling us to be a certain kind of person, but inspiring us to be the person we want to be.” “I like how the author put ‘imagine’ at… Continue reading Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera illustrated by Lauren Castillo
Dear Sister
In Dear Sister by Alison McGhee the relationship between a brother and his younger sister is told through a series of letters and endearing illustrations. At first the older brother is feeling resentful about having a baby sister, but over the span of 10 years his feelings change as they both grow up. Teacher Thoughts:… Continue reading Dear Sister
Short
by Holly Goldberg Sloan I teach in a town where community theater is part of its fabric, so reading Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan as a read aloud seemed like the natural thing to do. My fifth graders loved everything about Julia Marks! At the beginning of the book Julia is on summer vacation feeling… Continue reading Short