Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham is a book about the sudden shifts that occurred during the pandemic. It is not just a tale of going inside, it is a tale of coming together, withstanding troubling times, growing, and emerging stronger and better. The illustrations beautifully capture the stark difference between life inside and life outside.… Continue reading Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
Author: Melissa Newell
I am a literacy leader, book lover, writing champion, public school curriculum coordinator, and mother of 2. I love sharing and matching books with adults and children.
Books for Birthdays!
How do you build a reading life and celebrate a birthday during a pandemic? The answer is easier than you think - celebrate with books! Today my youngest turns 6 and the traditional birthday party has long since been thrown out the window, so we needed a creative way to celebrate. Enter books. This year… Continue reading Books for Birthdays!
Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume by Kwame Alexander
When the kids came home from their day of hybrid learning with boom sticks and recorders, I knew the perfect book to get us in the musical mood. Acoustic Rooster's Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume written by one of my favorite authors, Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Tim Bowers, was the perfect fit. Based on… Continue reading Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume by Kwame Alexander
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
Clean Getaway, acclaimed Dear Martin author Nic Stone's debut middle grade novel, is sure to be a hit in schools this year. William "Scoob" Lamar embarks on an adventure of a lifetime with his Grandma, G'ma. As he leaves his single dad behind, Scoob has no idea what will be in store. His traveling adventures… Continue reading Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
I Promise by Lebron James, Illustrated by Nina Mata
The best part of a new school year is the anticipation it holds. A new school year means a new teacher, new opportunities, and maybe even new friends. While the 2020-2021 school year is beginning unlike any other year amidst a global pandemic, promises are still ready to be made. In Lebron James's new children's… Continue reading I Promise by Lebron James, Illustrated by Nina Mata
Awesome Read Aloud Resources
With so many students being out of school, families are looking for read alouds to keep the love of reading alive. Check out these great resources! Author Kate Messner has compiled so many resources from fellow authors and illustrators. https://www.katemessner.com/read-wonder-and-learn-favorite-authors-illustrators-share-resources-for-learning-anywhere-spring-2020/ Author Susan Tan put this YouTube channel together. Books, art, and more... Pernille Ripp compiled… Continue reading Awesome Read Aloud Resources
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
Kids love Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae, but they love it even more when it has sounds and songs. After reading this aloud to a first grade class recently, the students all stood up and cheered. The book was front and center at their meeting place on the rug, but Novel Effect, a free,… Continue reading Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
I Wonder by K.A. Holt and Kenard Pak
Do tires ever get tired? How does a clock know what time it is? These are just some of the questions children ponder in author K.A. Holt's I Wonder picture book. With beautiful, whimsy illustrations by Kenard Pak, both the text and the images capture the questions we all have thought, but didn't dare to… Continue reading I Wonder by K.A. Holt and Kenard Pak
It’s Not Hansel and Gretel by Josh Funk
It's Not Hansel and Gretel is Josh Funk's second book focused on rewriting traditional fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Like, It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk, this story takes the classic and gives it a modern twist with multiple perspectives. Funk expertly weaves the voices of each of the characters with playful banter from the… Continue reading It’s Not Hansel and Gretel by Josh Funk
The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
I loved that the kids grew to love each other and to think they are family" ~ 6th Grade Student The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman is a story that pulls at your heart strings and has you rooting for the characters to triumph at the same time. Set in India, two young girls, Viji… Continue reading The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Rafael López
Margarita Engle is one of my favorite poets! Elementary children love Drum Dream Girl and Bravo!. Middle schoolers love her memoirs Enchanted Air and Soaring Earth. She writes in a lyrical fashion that is so beautiful it causes your breath to catch. Dancing Hands, like her other work, does not disappoint. A picture book told… Continue reading Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Rafael López
Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack
"You saved my life!" "And you saved mine!" They said to one another. And in a flash, to each it felt, there simply was no other." Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis is Haack's debut picture book with a happy ending. A modern take on a traditional tale of finding the… Continue reading Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Every once in a while a book lands in your hands at the exact right moment and you thank the book universe for its delivery. Other Words for Home, Jasmine Warga's first novel for middle grade readers, does just that. Written in verse, this story is a tale of a young girl, Jude, leaving her… Continue reading Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems
The back to school aisle is stocked, August is here, and educators and children everywhere begin the countdown to the first day of school. Some of us are full of hope and others, nervous anticipation about the beginning of the school year. What will it be like? Will I fit in? Who will my teacher… Continue reading The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems