Friends are Friends, Forever, by Dane Liu is a sweet story of Dandan and her move from Northeastern China to the United States. The story traces how she says goodbye to her good friend Yueyue, sharing their Lunar New Year’s Eve tradition of making paper snowflakes, and how she introduces that tradition to her new… Continue reading Friends Are Friends, Forever by Dane Liu
Author: Maureen Markelz
Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor
The second grade classes next door know I write for Teachers | Books | Readers, and they sent me a stack of letters encouraging me to write about Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor. Nabela Noor is a social media star - over 2 million followers on Instagram! And she uses her platforms to promote self-love… Continue reading Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor
What I Am by Divya Srinivasan
What a joy it is to return to kindergarten classrooms and be able to share a picture book with them! All nice and close on the rug, their expectant eyes peering over their masks - I had been waiting to be able to read this way for a long time. And I brought with me… Continue reading What I Am by Divya Srinivasan
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
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
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
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
The Barnabus Project by The Fan Brothers
This month, I asked my second graders to help me write an opinion piece on a book they think teachers should read to other second graders. One of their favorites this year has been The Barnabus Project, by the Fan Brothers. Similar to their previous work, The Night Gardener, this book invites readers into an… Continue reading The Barnabus Project by The Fan Brothers
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
Writing Collaborative Nonfiction Books
My district has had the good fortune to be able to teach in person this year. In so many ways, this is a blessing - and yet it is still hard. Social distancing means no group work or games and lots of reminders to “stay six-feet apart.” In my room, where we’ve taped boxes on… Continue reading Writing Collaborative Nonfiction Books
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
Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Every Run a Marathon
Fauja Singh Keeps Going was voted this second grade class's "Read Aloud Rerun." Learn more about this new picture book biography!
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
Gather Round the Read Aloud
Last spring, teaching online with no preparation was an exercise in trial and error. Video lessons, live lessons, using document cameras, holding papers up to screens - it was basically a hot mess most of the time (at least for me). I loved a sentiment I heard from Natalie Louis at the Phonics Institute a… Continue reading Gather Round the Read Aloud
Nature Journals and Remote Lessons
This spring, when it became clear that our schools would be closed for the remainder of the school year, I set about with my fellow coaches trying to envision ways to engage our students in authentic reading and writing that could be done at home. After exploring some great resources, I decided on recording minilessons… Continue reading Nature Journals and Remote Lessons
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
Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Lesson 13
Thank you, Hoppy and Ranger! I've been missing the kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders who I usually get to visit during Writing Workshop every day. So I thought, maybe we could write letters to each other! Here's a video that can help you think about how to write a letter! https://youtu.be/AfgWp0vG_R8 I hope you… Continue reading Writing Camp with Hoppy and Ranger: Lesson 13
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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