I'm going to be honest- it's been a few months since I've read a book. The toll of the pandemic on school this year has impacted something I've always loved to do, and with the summer in sight, I am excited to get back to books! The stack pictured above is smaller than what I'd… Continue reading My Summer Stack
Author: Sarah Klim
I Am A Kindness Hero by Jennifer Adams
I recently added this book to my personal library. As a school principal, I'm always looking for books on kindness, respect, and taking care of one another. This book's simple yet powerful text and beautiful illustrations by Carme Lemniscates are a perfect read aloud for when I visit classrooms. The main character demonstrates many different… Continue reading I Am A Kindness Hero by Jennifer Adams
Except When They Don’t by Laura Gehl
This book should be in every classroom. That was the first thought that went through my head when I read it. From the cover with the girl in the football jersey and helmet and the boy sipping tea, this book takes stereotypes of what boys do and what girls do and points out that stereotypes… Continue reading Except When They Don’t by Laura Gehl
Goal by Mina Javaherbin
It's Throwback Thursday! I'm excited to spotlight one of my favorite anchor texts for Readers Workshop: Goal by Mina Javaherbin. This was always one of my go-tos when I was a literacy specialist, and one I still enjoy taking to classes to read aloud to my students now. Goal is the story of a group… Continue reading Goal by Mina Javaherbin
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
It's Throwback Thursday! And since it is February and there is snow on the ground in New England, what better book to spotlight than "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats? The simplicity of the text and the illustrations highlights the simple joy of a child playing in the snow. He makes a snowman, then… Continue reading The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
CeCe Loves Science: Push and Pull by Kimberly Derting & Shelli R. Johannes
What do you get for holiday and birthday presents when your aunt is a former elementary school literacy specialist and current elementary school principal? Books of course! I was so excited to find this title as a gift for my four year old niece this year. She has developed a real interest in science lately,… Continue reading CeCe Loves Science: Push and Pull by Kimberly Derting & Shelli R. Johannes
A Day So Gray by Marie Lamba
This book might be the perfect read-aloud to close out 2020, for any age. It was gifted to me in June by my literacy specialist, after three months of remote school due to the pandemic and not knowing what the new school year would look like. This book is, in my opinion, the quintessential "the… Continue reading A Day So Gray by Marie Lamba
The Unteachables by Gordon Korman
Is any child really "unteachable?" Or do they just need the right teacher to come along and figure out their talents and strengths, and help them overcome their challenges? For that matter, can the right group of students help a burned-out, counting the days until early retirement teacher remember why he got into teaching in… Continue reading The Unteachables by Gordon Korman
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
September 15th-October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month, and "Dancing Hands" is a perfect choice for a read-aloud to highlight an inspiring, but probably not very well-known to our students, individual- Teresa Carreno. She grew up in Venezuela, and learned to play the piano and write music at a very young age. Her family fled their… Continue reading Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreno Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
A Thousand No’s by DJ Corchin
"She had a great idea." I love the simplicity of the opening line of this book. How many of our students think every idea they have is great? They run to us wide-eyed, ready to share, and the words burst out of them excitedly. Too often, I think our answer is no. Maybe there isn't… Continue reading A Thousand No’s by DJ Corchin
Why Did the Whole World Stop?: Talking with Kids about COVID-19 by Heather Black
The title of this book asks a question I think many of us, not just children, have been pondering over the last few months. We have all had our lives uprooted as we deal with the effects of a global health emergency. As adults, we can become overwhelmed with all the information that is available… Continue reading Why Did the Whole World Stop?: Talking with Kids about COVID-19 by Heather Black
Summer Reading Stack
Confession: I do pretty much all my professional reading in the summer. During the school year, after working long days and doing more work most nights after dinner, I prefer to pick a book that's really just for fun, and that helps me relax my brain. So in the summer, when the pace of work… Continue reading Summer Reading Stack
A Tribute to Tomie dePaola
Tomie dePaola has long been one of my favorite authors and illustrators, not just as a teacher, but as a child. I remember having "Strega Nona" read to me many times, and as someone who could eat pasta every day of the week, I really wanted that magic pasta pot! There was also a special… Continue reading A Tribute to Tomie dePaola
Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy
"My color is black... and there's no black in rainbows." The first time I read these words, it felt sad. But on the very next page, the narrator begins to list all the places the color black is found, like a crayon, "the dirt where sunflowers grow," and "the braids in my best friend's hair."… Continue reading Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy
Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
I love when my colleagues recommend books to me and this one did not disappoint! "Book Uncle and Me" has a very relatable main character in Yasmin, an avid reader who has a goal of reading one new book every day. She gets her books from Book Uncle, a retired teacher who has a lending… Continue reading Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
Every kid has that moment where they're so excited to do something new for the first time, like riding a bike without training wheels, taking the big yellow bus to kindergarten, or jumping off the high dive, like Jabari. But even when you really, really want to do something new and exciting for the first… Continue reading Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
The Brilliant Deep by Kate Messner
"It starts with one." This is the opening and closing lines of "The Brilliant Deep" by Kate Messner, and students really noticed that the book has a strong message of how one person can make a difference. Kids talked about how one person could help the planet, and how person could find something they care… Continue reading The Brilliant Deep by Kate Messner
Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival
Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival is a relatable story for all kids, and probably most adults too! When Ruby finds her worry, she tries to ignore it, but that only makes it grow larger. Ruby finally realizes that the only way to make her worry go away is to talk about it. When… Continue reading Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival
Always Anjali by Sheetal Sheth
I have been reading "Always Anjali" by Sheetal Sheth to a lot of classes this fall! Anjali is so excited to ride her new bike to the school carnival with her best friends where they decide to buy matching personalized license plates. Mary and Courtney find theirs right away, but Anjali's name is nowhere to… Continue reading Always Anjali by Sheetal Sheth
Perfect by Max Amato
This book has been a lot of fun to read to classes this fall! When the eraser states that everything is perfect and clean and that's how it's going to stay, the pencil has other ideas! It draws squiggles, giant pencils, and even a forest. The eraser struggles to return the pages to their original… Continue reading Perfect by Max Amato
Allie All Along by Sarah Lynne Reul
When I start visiting classrooms to read books aloud this fall, Allie All Along by Sarah Lynne Reul will be one of my top choices. It fits right into our social-emotional learning curriculum. We teach our students that however they are feeling, it's ok to feel that way and they can use strategies to help… Continue reading Allie All Along by Sarah Lynne Reul