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Caldecott Medal 2020 Predictions

I have always wanted to sit on the Caldecott selection committee. What could be better than having hundreds of wondrous, imaginative and awe-inspiring picture books delivered to your door? And you have to read every single one. Sounds pretty amazing doesn’t it? Realistically, I know this is a tough job and requires an extraordinary commitment. It’s not just sitting around drinking coffee and reading books all day. But still…it would be pretty cool. And when the day of the announcement comes around I anxiously await the news. Will my favorite be on the list? Will I be totally shocked by the winner? Members of the Caldecott committee have to narrow their choices down to 7 titles each. They spend hours debating about which book should receive the top honor. Every year I always come up with my own list of titles that I believe will be contenders. This year

Best Picture Books to Read in December

During the month of December many of my lessons focus on winter holidays around the world. These include books about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Diwali as well as Christmas. Below are 30 of my favorite December read alouds. A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel After destroying all of the gifts and decorations at home, Bad Kitty escapes from the car on Christmas Eve and finds a new friend, who helps her learn the true meaning of Christmas. A Piñata in a Pine Tree: A Latino Twelve Days of Christmas by Pat Mora Text in English with some Spanish words. Presents an adaptation of the folk song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in which friends exchange gifts such as pinatas and a little girl receives a present from a secret friend whose identity is eventually revealed. A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa’s Tasty Trip Around the World by

Best Picture Books to Read in November

As we head into November I want to share with you some of my favorite November read aloud picture books for this month. I have included books about Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and of course turkeys! There are a few nonfiction as well as fiction books. Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet Tells the story of puppeteer Tony Sarg, the man who first invented the helium balloons that have become the trademark of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson Bear has come up with the perfect way to say thanks–a nice big dinner! When Bear decides to throw a feast, his friends show up one by one with different platters of delicious food to share. There’s just one problem: Bear’s cupboards are bare! What is he to do? Coming Home by Ruth Greg Follows the emotions of a young boy as he waits

Websites to Help Students Find Their Next Read

In this post I am sharing five websites to help students find their next read. You can use these websites yourself or you can teach students how to use them. Either way, they are one more tool that you can use to help encourage a culture of reading with your students. What should I read next? How many times have you been asked this question? I’m sure the number is in the thousands. And it is one of the most important questions we are asked. Helping students to find a book that they will love and want to read is one of the main reasons I became a librarian. I’m sure that’s true for many of you as well. And I will admit that sometimes this question can create some anxiety for me. Recommending a book to a child is a huge responsibility. I’m always afraid that if I

Using Picture Books with Upper Elementary Students

I use picture books with all of my students grades K-5. There is so much that you can teach with a picture book and they can be used for almost any subject or topic. In this post I want to share with you some of my favorite picture books to use with upper elementary students as well as some of the benefits in using these books in your lessons. Discussion Starters By reading a picture book you can begin a discussion with your students about something that may not be easy to talk about. You can open up the lines of communication and start a dialogue. For example the book Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh can be used to discuss segregation and would be an informative lead-in to learning about Brown vs the Board of Education. One Green Apple

Back to School Read Alouds to Use During Library Time

In just a few short weeks, most of us will be gearing up to head back to school. We all know how crucial it is to teach library rules and expectations during those first few weeks. One way I love to do this is with back to school read-alouds. I try to choose stories that naturally spark conversations about school and library behavior (including how to care for books). So, today, I’m sharing a list of my favorite back to school read-alouds with you, featuring some tried and true favorites as well as a few newer titles. 20 Back to School Read Alouds First Day Critter Jitters by Jory John This is a brand new back to school book from Jory John. All the animals are nervous about the first day of school. Sloth is worried he will be late and snake can’t keep his backpack on. And bunny

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Caldecott Medal 2020 Predictions

Best Picture Books to Read in December

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Using Picture Books with Upper Elementary Students

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