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Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! For our class read aloud, my class opted for Gordon Korman's Restart. It's a title I had never read before, but the other fourth grade teachers in my school raved about it. When my class voted for it over the other four titles, I smiled. Not only was I excited to… Continue reading Hope Wins: A Collection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers

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Octopuses Have Zero Bones: A Counting Book About Our Amazing World

About a year ago, I was sitting on my couch, when I realized with a shock that I had an implicit bias against nonfiction, and that this bias had not only unknowingly affected my impressions of my loved ones but of my students as well. If you're interested in taking a deep dive into how… Continue reading Octopuses Have Zero Bones: A Counting Book About Our Amazing World

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Because Claudette

Because Claudette by Tracey Baptiste is a must-have book for upper elementary classrooms. There are many ways I could have used this book in my classroom this morning including, but not limited to: Examining cause and effect text structure Discussing Civil Rights Discussing Ageism Discussing Perseverance Discussing Collaboration Discussing Nonviolent Protest But today, I chose… Continue reading Because Claudette

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Bling Blaine: Throw Glitter Not Shade

This year our district's professional development focus is social emotional learning (SEL). I'm on my school's SEL committee which consists of myself, three other teachers, an instructional aide, our assistant principal and our principal. Last year we received training from an outside organization and this year we're tasked with passing on what we learned to… Continue reading Bling Blaine: Throw Glitter Not Shade

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Ten Beautiful Things

Recently on Twitter, Tara Lazar asked people to give a shout out to picture books published during the pandemic that they thought hadn't received enough attention. I read through the chat and stumbled upon this book. The beautiful cover and the title caught my attention. When I read the reviews and learned it was about… Continue reading Ten Beautiful Things

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A Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters

A must have book for upper elementary classrooms On April fifth, I found myself in a strange situation of having to create a classroom community out of two separate cohorts for the remaining ten weeks of the school year. A few of the questions running through my mind were: How do I do that when… Continue reading A Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham and Charles Waters

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Kindness Is a Kite String: The Uplifting Power of Empathy

Kindness is a Kite String by Michelle Schaub is a must have for National Poetry Month. Read on to find out why. Figurative language is a powerful writing tool and Kindnes Is a Kite String flows with similes and metaphors. Sure, you could hand out a boring worksheet that drills the differences between similes and… Continue reading Kindness Is a Kite String: The Uplifting Power of Empathy

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Miss Mingo and the 100th Day of School

Many teachers and students are missing that familiar sense of normalcy. Well, thankfully, the time-honored tradition of the 100th day of school is just around the corner. Jamie Harper's, Miss Mingo and the 100th Day of School is a must-have title for this special day. In addition to featuring the various combinations of 100 such… Continue reading Miss Mingo and the 100th Day of School

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All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

Every human being should read All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat. You may be thinking, ‘Wait! What? Did she just write, “Every human being should read All Thirteen?” ‘ Yes, that is what I wrote, and I stand behind my words. All Thirteen is a narrative nonfiction text that shows when we are willing to collaborate… Continue reading All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

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Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, legs and Beaks by Jolene Gutierrez

Bionic Beasts by Jolene Gutiérrez is a must-have book for the upper elementary classroom. Jolene's book uses five chapters to highlight five specific animals: a Kemp's ridley sea turtle named Lolaa German shephard named Cassidya greylag goose named Vitóriaa Berkshire-tamworth pig named Piratean Asian elephant named Mosha The organizational structure of each chapter will entice… Continue reading Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, legs and Beaks by Jolene Gutierrez

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The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story

In the classroom, often times student struggle when trying to differentiate fiction from nonfiction. Sometimes, I will give students a group of books that they have to sort into two groups: fiction or nonfiction. A similar activity can also be done with informational fiction titles. "Informational fiction presents facts and information within a fictional story."… Continue reading The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story

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Project LIT: A Nationwide Movement Started by Jarred Amato

Looking for something fun and exciting to do this school year? Whether you’re teaching in person, remotely or in a hybrid model, start a Project LIT Book Club. Project LIT Book Club is a national movement to eradicate book deserts. Book deserts are communities that lack books. So high school teacher, Jarred Amato, and his… Continue reading Project LIT: A Nationwide Movement Started by Jarred Amato

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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

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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