Mayhem, pandemonium, madness are all words that at times described our remote learning process this spring. Our last week, I wanted to end with something fun, something that might supersede the memory of the dreaded daily color grid. So, for our last small group Google Meet, each student had to prepare a book basket. In… Continue reading MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM by Rajani LaRocca
Author: Katherine Palaces Narita
Ick!: Delightfully Disgusting Animal Dinners, Dwellings and Defenses by Melissa Stewart
Ick! Might be a word some educators might use when asked to describe parts of the remote learning experience. But one thing is for sure, remote learning has given us the opportunity to get to know our students in new and exciting ways. I've learned that one of my students is a diehard nonfiction fan.… Continue reading Ick!: Delightfully Disgusting Animal Dinners, Dwellings and Defenses by Melissa Stewart
You’re Invited to a Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration by Loree Griffin Burns
Loree Griffin Burns' new book You're Invited to a Moth Ball arrived this month. It's a delight for anyone who likes to be outside or has a fascination for insects. Now that our days and nights are less structured, there's more time to explore the world around us. You're Invited to a Moth Ball gives… Continue reading You’re Invited to a Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration by Loree Griffin Burns
The Passover Mouse by Joy Nelkin Wieder
Teachers, Joy would love to share her book with your students. Please email her at jnwiederATgmailDOTcom to get the Flipgrid link to share with your students. Your students can hear Joy read her amazing book and ask her questions as well. Joy will respond to students questions on Flipgrid until April fifth. I will be… Continue reading The Passover Mouse by Joy Nelkin Wieder
Bear Needs Help by Sarah Brannen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXRp2iQkG0o Skype Magic By Kate Narita As a teacher, my most memorable, pleasurable moments are when magic happens in the classroom. You know what I’m talking about. Those rare times when everything is in sync, and transcendence occurs in a roomful of people. Transcendence. That’s what happened when I read Bear Needs Help by Sarah… Continue reading Bear Needs Help by Sarah Brannen
Snowy Race by April Jones Prince
Your lesson ended five minutes early, but you have to line up for specials soon. Tonight will be a full moon, and there’s a storm brewing outside. Any teacher knows free time on a low barometric pressure day and a full moon night spells D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R. That’s why you should keep a copy of April Jones… Continue reading Snowy Race by April Jones Prince
Bird Count
I have a special connection to Susan Edwards Richmond's Bird Count. We're in the same writing group. The same day that she brought Bird Count to group to be critiqued, I had realized that no one had written a book about the combinations of ten. I had an inner battle with myself because I didn't… Continue reading Bird Count
Drawn Together by Minh Le and Dan Santat
The last two posts on my personal blog, I've talked about the amazing experience I had at nErDcampLI. One question that author and illustrator, Lita Judge, asked is whether or not we are making a home for neurodiverse learners in our classroom. She shared that she grew up on a remote island in Alaska where… Continue reading Drawn Together by Minh Le and Dan Santat
You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks by Evan Turk
Teachers say... You Are Home is a must have for every elementary classroom. This book is so important for various reasons. First of all, the exquisite art makes readers feel as if they are actually walking through each national park soaking up the beauty that surrounds them. The paintings by themselves are reason enough to… Continue reading You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks by Evan Turk
The Remember Balloons By Jessie Oliveros
Author: Kate Palaces Narita is a fourth grade teacher and the author of 100 Bugs! A Counting Book (FSG spring 2018). When she's not out and about driving, teaching or cheering on her two teenage sons, Kate lives, writes, and hikes on a small mountain in central Massachusetts. Sometimes holding a book in your hands is a magical experience.… Continue reading The Remember Balloons By Jessie Oliveros