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
Tag: Characters Speak Directly to the Reader
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
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
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?
Fungus is Among Us! written by Joy Keller Illustrated by Erica Salcedo
At first I thought that fungus was really gross...but now I think they are good for our planet- Julia, Grade 3 They mixed a storybook with poetry and a BUNCH of facts! - Rain, Grade 3 That's a LOT of fungi! Barely any fungi in my yard! Yeast is fungi. We eat fungi ?!? -… Continue reading Fungus is Among Us! written by Joy Keller Illustrated by Erica Salcedo
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
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
Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick
Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights happens to share its book birthday with the anniversary of Malala’s life changing event-- October 9th. In fact, Malala immediately hooks her audience by flashing back to that particular day, which haunts her memory. “When I close my eyes, I can see my bedroom. The bed… Continue reading Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick