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My Name Is Not Ed Tug

A name is one of the most important identifying features about a person.  It is one of the very first decisions that is made for you and you have no control or say in the matter.  Many people like their names, or learn to live with a nickname, some people do not.  When you get… Continue reading My Name Is Not Ed Tug

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DINNER ON DOMINGOS

DINNER ON DOMINGOS by Alexandra Katona with illustrations by Claudia Navarro is a gorgeous story of family tradition that subtly explores the challenges faced by our narrator, Alejandra, as she hopes to connect with her beloved Abuelita. This story lovingly immerses the reader in Abuelita's casa for a weekly family meal. The energy of this… Continue reading DINNER ON DOMINGOS

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My Sister, Daisy

Based on a true story, Adria Karlsson provides a gentle introduction to gender identity with a focus on positivity and acceptance in her debut, MY SISTER, DAISY, with illustrations by Linus Curci. This is the perfect book for parents or educators looking to have a conversation around gender identity and pronouns.  Told from the perspective… Continue reading My Sister, Daisy

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Ten Beautiful Things

Recently on Twitter, Tara Lazar asked people to give a shout out to picture books published during the pandemic that they thought hadn't received enough attention. I read through the chat and stumbled upon this book. The beautiful cover and the title caught my attention. When I read the reviews and learned it was about… Continue reading Ten Beautiful Things

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The Alphabet’s Alphabet

Have you ever thought of the alphabet as one big happy family of relatives?  That’s how they are presented in The Alphabet’s Alphabet, written by Chris Harris and illustrated by Dan Santat.  Harris begins by explaining that the alphabet is just like a family and that they are all alike in many ways.  He then… Continue reading The Alphabet’s Alphabet

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Planet Omar Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian and illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik

My name is Omar—this is my face. I have a HUGE imagination. I hate carrots. I once raced against my dad’s car on my bike—and won! Finding wonderful new chapter books for read aloud has been my quest this school year. I was so pleased to discover Planet Omar Accidental Trouble Magnet by #ownvoices author… Continue reading Planet Omar Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian and illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik

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The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan

Teaching remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging and frustrating, but one thing has remained steadfast—my belief in the power of books to connect. This belief was reconfirmed when I read the picture book, The Arabic Quilt, to my third graders during our morning Classroom Book-a-day. Together, Aya Khalil and illustrator Anait Semirdzhyan tell… Continue reading The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan

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The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts, written by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Mike Curato

Sometimes One can feel like a small and lonely number. One teacher sits alone in her home classroom. One third grader tries to find a quiet place in a bedroom, dining room, or kitchen. We are each one square in a checkerboard of faces on our screens. The oneness of teaching and learning from home… Continue reading The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts, written by Trudy Ludwig and illustrated by Mike Curato

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Going Up by Sherry Lee

Going Up by Sherry Lee reviewed by Susan Kennedy As we are going back to school in whatever form that is taking, hopefully we are returning to writing. I love writing with students and hearing them storytell their narrative plans. Returning to school this fall, I hope we'll start with some narratives: small moments, memoirs,… Continue reading Going Up by Sherry Lee

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The Star Outside My Window by Onjali Q. Rauf

As soon as one of my sixth grade book clubs finished The Boy in the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf, they immediately took to the internet to find other books by the same author.  When they found The Star Outside My Window, they begged me to order it right away! Student Thoughts:… Continue reading The Star Outside My Window by Onjali Q. Rauf

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Sharing Fry Bread with 2nd and 4th Graders

“Fry bread is...food, shape, sound, color, flavor, time, art, history, place and nation. Fry bread is everything; fry bread is us.”  Fry Bread is doubly gifted. It’s a simple, short-verse picture book that even the youngest readers will enjoy, but it’s also an informational book through an extended author’s note for older readers. The author… Continue reading Sharing Fry Bread with 2nd and 4th Graders

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Can I Give You A Squish?

It’s a tremendous honor to join the TBR blog this school year. I am beginning my twentieth year as an educator, and my sixth year working with third graders. I’m looking forward to sharing books, building my library, and creating a passionate reading community in my classroom. I recently found out that my school district… Continue reading Can I Give You A Squish?

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Noise and Summer Reading

A Teacher's Thoughts: I just finished the oddest school year in my 25 years of teaching and that’s saying a lot. My students and I made heart shapes with our fingers toward the camera and promised to say “See you soon” instead of goodbye. Then I pressed, “End meeting for all” and my school year… Continue reading Noise and Summer Reading

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The Journey by Francesca Sanna

Francesca Sanna’s The Journey is a beautiful, powerful book that delivers a timely message to readers.  It describes the journey of a brave family who must flee from their home to escape a war.  Francesca Sanna created this picture book after interviewing refugees in Italy. Educators can use this book to teach a variety of… Continue reading The Journey by Francesca Sanna

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Can I Touch Your Hair?

One of the last demonstration lessons I wrote before we left school in mid-March was a cross-text synthesizing lesson with this lovely poetry book,  Can I Touch Your Hair?  by Irene Latham & Charles Waters. While I can't find my hard copy in the sea of books I have brought home with me,  I bought… Continue reading Can I Touch Your Hair?

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Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu

*I would like to use this post to thank all the authors and publishers who have stepped up and allowed teachers to read their books online during this unprecedented time...We appreciate you!  Teacher's Story: I leave school on a Friday, having started the first few chapters of Eventown, by Corey Ann Haydu. On Saturday, I discover that… Continue reading Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu

Blog Posts, Read Aloud

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

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Penguin Flies Home by Lita Judge

Even fifth graders can’t help but love a penguin story, especially when the penguin has “the soul of an eagle!”  This is Lita Judge’s sequel to Flight School, which is another one of my favorite picture books.  She creates amusing stories that teach wonderful life lessons.  The theme of this book is friendship. It could… Continue reading Penguin Flies Home by Lita Judge

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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

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Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson

Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson An advance copy of this book made it into my hands from our local independent bookstore last spring.  I immediately loved it!  Always on the lookout for a book that fits the complexity we hope for our upper elementary readers without being too mature for them, Some… Continue reading Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson

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The Light in The Lake by Sarah R Baughman

Addie finds herself caught between science and magic, family and nature, and grief and hope. - The Light in The Lake Teacher Thoughts: The Light in the Lake was the perfect book to bridge our social issue and fantasy units of study in reader's workshop.  Even my most reluctant readers could not put down this… Continue reading The Light in The Lake by Sarah R Baughman

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One Big Heart by Linsey Davis

With Beverly Davis, Illustrated by Lucy Fleming A celebration of being more alike than different! Each Friday, my sixth graders pair up with a kindergarten buddy to read, do math, or work on a project.  This week, we read One Big Heart and talked about the big idea of the book. Kindergarten students understood the message… Continue reading One Big Heart by Linsey Davis

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The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf

"The entire world is full of hearts searching for a place to call home. But refugees are different, because they don't just look for a home.  They look for peace too. And because of that, they possess the most special hearts anyone could ever have."                     … Continue reading The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf

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Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings by Francie Latour and Ken Daley

Ken Daley’s illustrations in this book immediately grabbed my students’ attention.  They wanted to know if Haiti really looked like the pictures. They were captivated further by Francie Latour’s story of a girl who travels from the United States to Haiti to visit her aunt, a painter.  As she experiences the sights, sounds, colors, history,… Continue reading Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings by Francie Latour and Ken Daley

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Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn

On a good day, Chicken liked to wander.  On a bad day, Chicken would bolt. But no matter what, Cat loved him as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge, as deep as the sea floor, and as fierce as a shark bite. Sixth Grade Book Club Members Think... Caterpillar Summer is a wonderful, figurative language… Continue reading Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn

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The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Every once in a while a book comes along that students and teachers alike can not put down.  The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is one of those books. The pages are filled with quirky characters, an interesting setting and one of a kind adventures that leave readers at the edge of their seats.  I read… Continue reading The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart