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Abuelita and I Make Flan by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom

As the school year kicks off, many classrooms are highlighting small-moment stories. Abuelita and I Make Flan by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom is perfect as a mentor text for personal narratives, as an interactive read aloud, and/or as an addition to classroom and home libraries. This lovely picture book honors multi-generational families and Cuban-American traditions. Anita… Continue reading Abuelita and I Make Flan by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom

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Inquiry & Research Resources for Kids

Our third grade class is kicking off 2022 with wonder. As we begin our expository nonfiction research unit, students are identifying topics of interest and brainstorming questions they would like to learn more about. From muscles to miniature pinschers to the universe, there are so many topics we'd like to explore. So where do we… Continue reading Inquiry & Research Resources for Kids

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It Fell From The Sky by Terry Fan & Eric Fan

Books by the Fan brothers have long entertained elementary classrooms, inspiring wonder and curiosity. Their latest collaboration, It Fell From the Sky, was one of my first read alouds of the 2021-2022 school year. It immediately sparked authentic thinking and talking about reading as students discussed the text and the illustrations. (In fact, they were… Continue reading It Fell From The Sky by Terry Fan & Eric Fan

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The Ramble Shamble Children by Christina Soontornvat

Looking for a lovely read aloud for elementary students? The Ramble Shamble Children by Christina Soontornvat is a perfect fit. The five ramble shamble children live together in a ramble shamble house. When they see a proper house in a storybook, they ponder whether their home needs changes. The changes they make don’t turn out… Continue reading The Ramble Shamble Children by Christina Soontornvat

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Magnificent Homespun Brown by Samara Cole Doyon

As Black History Month continues, and as we strive to include the work of Black authors and illustrators in our curriculum year round, I encourage all teachers, families, and kids to find a moment to explore Magnificent Homespun Brown by Samara Cole Doyon. As readers navigate the first few pages of this beautiful book, a… Continue reading Magnificent Homespun Brown by Samara Cole Doyon

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From History to Today: Exploring Biographies with Text Sets

For as long as I can remember, I have been a huge fan of biographies. As a young reader, I appreciated how they exposed me to history, and how their subjects provided examples of lives lived with purpose. As a teacher, I find them to be versatile teaching tools. Whether my aim is to build… Continue reading From History to Today: Exploring Biographies with Text Sets

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The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem

One thing I have always loved about teaching the upper elementary grades is the love of series books that blossoms within a classroom. When third grade begins, students speak about the main characters of series books as if they are old friends; Pedro, Mercy Watson, Yasmin, and so many others are part of our classroom… Continue reading The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem

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I Am One by Susan Verde

This Tuesday marks the book birthday of I Am One: A Book of Action, the latest collaboration between writer Susan Verde and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. Their partnership of these two creators is legendary in my third-grade classroom. From The Water Princess and The Museum to the pair's I Am... collaborative series, each of their titles draws in readers. Elementary readers… Continue reading I Am One by Susan Verde

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Your Place in the Universe by Jason Chin

Jason Chin's Your Place in the Universe starts small, with a picture of four eight-year-old children looking through a telescope. With each page turn, the featured subjects grow larger, from an ostrich to a giraffe to the Mount Everest to the moon. Comparisons help readers make sense of the size of each featured object and start to… Continue reading Your Place in the Universe by Jason Chin

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Online Resource: Kids Ask Authors Podcast

The closure of schools over the past few months means many students have missed out on author visits, book signings, and other connections with writers. In a time of social distance, how can we continue making meaningful connections between students and authors? Children’s book author/illustrator Grace Lin has stepped in with a new podcast: Kids Ask… Continue reading Online Resource: Kids Ask Authors Podcast

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Online Resource: Live Read Alouds from Authors

As students, teachers, and families navigate learning from home, many authors are stepping in to keep the book love going. Authors are offering livestreams of read alouds for the duration of school closures. Here are some of this week's offerings: Daily From April 13th to April 17th, Jason Reynolds will be reading Look Both Ways… Continue reading Online Resource: Live Read Alouds from Authors

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Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist by Christine Evans

As a reader, I love biographies. As a teacher, I see the power life stories have when shared with young readers. I have found that my third graders love reading about real people who pursued their passions to make a difference. Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist tells the life story of Lucy Evelyn Cheesman, whose curiosity… Continue reading Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist by Christine Evans

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Explorers by Matthew Cordell

ExplorersBy Matthew Cordell My third graders are fascinated by wordless picture books. From Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi to I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoët, wordless picture books captivate readers' interests and require deep thinking. When I saw Explorers by Matthew Cordell on a bookshelf in another teacher's classroom, I knew I wanted to… Continue reading Explorers by Matthew Cordell