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A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty

A Small Kindness It’s easy to be kind when it’s a small problem, it’s hard to be kind when it’s a big problem. - Aiden, First Grader I had popped into this first grade classroom to relieve a busy teacher as they were wrapping up a discussion on kindness. Aiden floored me with this comment and… Continue reading A Small Kindness by Stacy McAnulty

Blog Posts, Read Aloud

Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder

If you’ve just started school or are seeing the first day come over the horizon at the end of the month, you’re probably building community in your new classroom by learning about and celebrating each other. Add Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder to your collection of identity-affirming read alouds for primary readers!  Feder’s playful… Continue reading Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder

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What I Learned from Going Back to the Classroom…and What I’m Reading This Summer to Learn More

I started my career as a first grade teacher and spent ten years in the primary grades before transitioning to becoming a literacy specialist. Even so, when my district asked me to go back into the classroom this year to help provide cohorts small enough to teach in person, I did have that sneaking fear:… Continue reading What I Learned from Going Back to the Classroom…and What I’m Reading This Summer to Learn More

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The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca

The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca by Amanda Abler I’ve got a second-grade class full of animal lovers this year, so I knew I’d need to share The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca with them when it crossed my desk. In text by Amanda Abler… Continue reading The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca

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No Voice Too Small : Fourteen Young Americans Making History

In this year of pandemic schooling, it can feel like there is bad news all around us. Covid-19, political turmoil, social unrest - I have sometimes struggled to conduct class discussions that acknowledge all that we are going through but at the same time don’t lead us to despair. I feel the need to have… Continue reading No Voice Too Small : Fourteen Young Americans Making History

Blog Posts, Read Aloud

Julian at the Wedding by Jessica Love

In my second grade classroom this year, we are weaving together our literacy goals of understanding character traits with our social emotional learning goals of understanding our own identity. Picture book characters are such a great vehicle for both! By learning about characters’ identities, we learn the language to help us describe our own. And… Continue reading Julian at the Wedding by Jessica Love

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We Will Rock Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Last year, We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins was one of my students’ favorite beginning of the year read alouds. Kindergarten, first, and second grade kids giggled with delight and fell in love with Penelope the dinosaur and her struggle to not eat the delicious children in her class. This year, Ryan… Continue reading We Will Rock Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

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The Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee

The Paper Kingdom, written by Helena Ku Rhee and illustrated by Pascal Campion, hits the perfect balance. The simple, enchanting story line will enrapture younger readers, who will love the magical tales Daniel’s parents tell him. At the same time, the underlying story of Daniel and his parents will leave older readers with important lessons… Continue reading The Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee

Blog Posts, Read Aloud

The Three Billy Goats Buenos by Susan Middleton Elya, Illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez

Today I asked my youngest daughter, Alice, to join me as we read The Three Billy Goats Buenos, written by Susan Middleton Elya and illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez. Alice has been in her pajamas all day because school is closed for the next two weeks due to the Coronavirus. It was a nice break in… Continue reading The Three Billy Goats Buenos by Susan Middleton Elya, Illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez

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Let ‘Er Buck! George Fletcher, the People’s Champion

“Life at home was no bushel of peaches either.”  “It was plain as the ears on a mule that he was born to ride.” “He took flight and kissed the ground.” Filled with sayings and phrases from the Old West, Let ‘Er Buck! tells the true story of George Fletcher, a black cowboy in Pendleton,… Continue reading Let ‘Er Buck! George Fletcher, the People’s Champion

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Layla’s Happiness by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie

“This is a book about Layla’s Happiness. What is happiness for you?”  In this sweet picture book, written by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin, seven-year-old Layla talks directly to the reader - sharing all the feelings, experiences, and thoughts that mean happiness to her. From dark purple plums, to special moments with… Continue reading Layla’s Happiness by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie

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Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illustrated by Paola Escobar

Anika Aldamuy Denise and Paola Escobar present this narrative nonfiction story of the life of Pura Belpré - an author, puppeteer, and the first Puerto Rican librarian of New York City. Through beautiful prose peppered with Spanish phrases, the author tells the life story of Pura, as she ventures from Puerto Rico to New York… Continue reading Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illustrated by Paola Escobar

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My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero

“Even though he comes home tired, he always has time for me.” Daisy Ramona races through her hometown with her father on his motorcycle, taking in the sights and sounds of the people and places she loves. Through strong literary language and comic/graphic novel-style illustrations, Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña show the all that make… Continue reading My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero

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Lottie & Walter by Anna Walker

Lottie and Walter, by Australian author, Anna Walker, is a sweet story of overcoming fear with the help of an imaginary friend. Lottie is terrified of getting into the pool for swimming lessons because she is sure that there is a shark in the water who wants to eat only her. She avoids the pool… Continue reading Lottie & Walter by Anna Walker

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The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by Supriya Kelkar, Illustrated by Alea Marley

The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh has been a favorite read aloud as I’ve visited K-2 classrooms this fall. Harpreet is a school-aged boy who wears a small turban, called a patka, in the tradition of the Sikh religion. Harpreet changes the colors of his patka based on his mood - pink for celebrating, red… Continue reading The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by Supriya Kelkar, Illustrated by Alea Marley

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Mae’s First Day of School by Kate Berube

There’s a quiet to Kate Berube’s books that holds young listeners in a state of wonder. Mae is not going to school today, no matter what her mother, father, or other parents on the playground say to persuade her. But when she scurries into a tree to hide from the opening bell, she learns that… Continue reading Mae’s First Day of School by Kate Berube