Blog Posts

The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Kate O'Shaughnessy's first novel is one that touched the hearts of my students. The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane is the story of a girl who perseveres through hard times with the help of a kind hearted teacher and a boy named Tommy who has struggles of his own. Sixth graders Kate and Makenzie read… Continue reading The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy

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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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Thank You, Omu!

Oge Mora has beautifully woven the themes of kindness, friendship, caring and generosity into the gorgeously illustrated, Thank You, Omu! Mrs. Unger's twenty-two, first graders truly enjoyed this heartwarming narrative, predicting who’d arrive at the door and how Omu would react upon finding nothing in left in her pot. The read aloud seamlessly shifted to… Continue reading Thank You, Omu!

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Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill

“Be Kind” ~ How often have you heard those words? How often have you said them? We spend hour after hour sharing the importance of being kind and trying to teach our students the value of kindness. But what does it mean to be kind? Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller takes the concept of… Continue reading Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill