Written by Nina LaCour & Illustrated by Kaylani Juanita "Have you have ever missed someone or something? Have you have ever missed someone or something and it almost felt like a physical ache? Have you have ever missed someone or something so much that when you were reunited the feelings of missing crashed into the… Continue reading Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle
Tag: theme
The Little Blue Bridge, written by Brenda Maier and illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
Ranked as my new favorite read aloud, The Little Blue Bridge is a spin off of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. This new title features Latinx characters, STEM connections, and a theme of feminism. Ruby, the female protagonist, suggests to her brothers, “Let’s go pick berries to bake in a pie”. Her brothers, taunting her… Continue reading The Little Blue Bridge, written by Brenda Maier and illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
I Do Not Like Yolanda
After a week of displaying welcome back to school and other feel good titles on my picture book easel, I put out I Do Not Like Yolanda by Zoey Abbott. I just let it sit there, unread, staring out into the classroom watching students. Each day I would head toward the easel, which also has… Continue reading I Do Not Like Yolanda
Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham is a book about the sudden shifts that occurred during the pandemic. It is not just a tale of going inside, it is a tale of coming together, withstanding troubling times, growing, and emerging stronger and better. The illustrations beautifully capture the stark difference between life inside and life outside.… Continue reading Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
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
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
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
The Patchwork Bike, by Maxine Beneba Clarke
The best thing of all to play with under the stretching-out sky at the edge of the no-go desert… is me and my brothers’ bike.The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Beneba Clarke So says the young, female narrator of this beautiful, compelling, multi-layered story. It is a description of the “patchwork” bike that she and her… Continue reading The Patchwork Bike, by Maxine Beneba Clarke
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
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
Carmela Full of Wishes
She stared down at the dandelion in her hand.It seemed so much more importantnow that she knew it was a place to put her wishes. What if she made the wrong choice? Carmela is excited to accompany her older brother into town for the first time. Although her big brother isn't happy to have her,… Continue reading Carmela Full of Wishes
I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919 by Lauren Tarshis
Yes, this really happened! And, if you live in Massachusetts, it happened close to home - in the North End of Boston! This tragic event was caused by negligence on the part of the company who owned the molasses tank, United States Industrial Alcohol. For the first time in American history, a company had to… Continue reading I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919 by Lauren Tarshis
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
What is the story of your name? What story would you like to tell? These are the questions Juana Martinez-Neal leaves the readers with following her author’s note in her award winning picture book Alma and How She Got Her Name. In this poignant story, Alma’s father teaches his daughter the history behind each and… Continue reading Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
When Pencil Met Eraser by Karen Kilpatrick and Luis O. Ramos, Jr., illustrated by Germán Blanco
https://youtu.be/YiMwpCJ8VWc Pencil was an artist who liked to work alone. When he met Eraser, he was not interested in seeing anything that Eraser had to offer. Throughout this story, s Eraser continued to change Pencil’s drawings, and each time Pencil grew angrier and angrier. He thought his art was amazing, and it didn’t need to… Continue reading When Pencil Met Eraser by Karen Kilpatrick and Luis O. Ramos, Jr., illustrated by Germán Blanco
Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss
Teacher Thoughts… It is impossible not to love Kate DiCamillo and adorable dog characters! Rosie is lonely, but she is also hesitant to try anything new. Her owner, George, takes her to the dog park, and after a couple of false starts, she makes friends with two other dogs. This delightful book is perfect to… Continue reading Good Rosie! by Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss