Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer, written by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Natasha Donovan, is a treasure! My fourth graders are HUGE Traci Sorell fans and they were so excited when this book arrived in our classroom. The story of Mary Golda Ross is one that will resonate with… Continue reading Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer
Tag: #ownvoices #buildyourstack #disrupttexts
Saving Savannah
by Tonya Bolden There must be change! And if last night taught me anything, it's that I must be a part of that change! Part of making the world as it ought to be. -Savannah Robyn and Autumn share their thoughts about Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden is a historical… Continue reading Saving Savannah
Until Every Barrier Falls by LeDerick Horne
https://youtu.be/reANl6Qzg3Y I choose to use this platform today to elevate the profile of a different type of author. LeDerick Horne is a spoken word poet. His most recent poem, “Until Every Barrier Falls,” connects principles like equality, independence, and freedom to the disability rights movement. He describes himself in the poem as, “I am a… Continue reading Until Every Barrier Falls by LeDerick Horne
“Yasmin…she be like me!”
My kindergarteners fell in love with Yasmin, the star of an early readers series written by Saasia Faruqi, the moment we started reading. She's a friend, a reader, a writer, a superhero, an artist...and so much more. She's just like my kids. Yasmin is a typical kid who does typical things and she happens to… Continue reading “Yasmin…she be like me!”
I Am Enough by Grace Byers
"We listen to Enough again please Miss Masse?" One of my kindergarteners asks with eagerness in her eyes. We have taken to audio recording our read alouds to listen to them during transition times and other times during our day. This idea came at the suggestion of a friend and mentor, Audrey O'Clair, who was… Continue reading I Am Enough by Grace Byers
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!
Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
"Miss Masse, in Somali, we say 'Kim-ar'." Anzal directs as I begin talking about today's read aloud, Mommy's Khimar. Books like this are a part of our culture in my small kindergarten class in semi-rural Maine. What's amazing about my class is that 11/14 kids speak English as a second language. There are 7 languages… Continue reading Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
The Field
The Field by Baptiste Paul, illustrated beautifully by Jacqueline Alcantara A winner of many awards in 2018, The Field shows and tells the story of a girl, her brother and some friends as they pick up a soccer game in rural St. Lucia, the author's home of origin. Through stunning illustrations full of movement… Continue reading The Field
Ibtihaj Muhammad’s “The Proudest Blue”
"I'm just glad to know we're not the only ones." Abdirizak looked at me with his deep, contemplative eyes as he started to walk out of my classroom. The Proudest Blue, A Story of Hijab and Family speaks to the exciting first day of hijab for Asiya told through the eyes of her little sister… Continue reading Ibtihaj Muhammad’s “The Proudest Blue”
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