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16 Favorite Folktales of All Time

Who loves to read folktales to their class?! Folktales are great because you can learn about different cultures and traditions. Most folktales teach some type of lesson that can be discussed with students. They make great interactive read-aloud stories for library time as well as in-class read-alouds. Typically in folktales, the main characters are animals or objects instead of people. The exact definition of a folktale is a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, especially one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people. any belief or story passed on traditionally, especially one considered to be false or based on superstition. I made a list of my 16 favorite folktales of all time for you to check out for spring: *Links to purchase the books are all affiliate links which means that if you purchase from that link I make a small
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The Best Read Alouds to Celebrate Black History Month

February is National Black History Month. There are some great books for read-alouds that I love to use in February and some fun activities to go with them to help celebrate Black History Month that I would love to share with you today. Here are the best read alouds to celebrate Black History Month.  *This post contains affiliate links. It just means that if you purchase the products that I recommend, I receive a small commission. Thanks! HENRY’S FREEDOM BOX: A TRUE STORY FROM THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD  By: Ellen Levin Book Description: A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mailed himself to freedom. Henry Brown doesn’t know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves’ birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows
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Caldecott Medal 2021 Predictions

The 2021 Caldecott award ceremony is quickly approaching. Which means it’s time for me to give my prediction for who will win the coveted medal. The ALA awards will be given out sometime in mid-January. Members of the Caldecott committee have been working all year to choose the book they think is worthy of this prestigious award. Members of the committee read thousands of picture books throughout the year. Then they must narrow their choices down to 7 titles each. Once they have this much smaller list, 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 I have come up with 15 books that I believe should be on the list (although I have not read nearly as many as the committee members do). Read my
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Five Chapter Books about Anxiety and Mental Health

If you haven’t already, it’s time to add some chapter books about anxiety and mental health to your library. Readers will find allies in the young characters whose friends and family members (or themselves) struggle with some aspect of mental health. In addition, these titles will help students that do not struggle with mental health issues  develop understanding and empathy both for themselves and for others. Check out these five chapter books about anxiety and mental health!  Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt There are many ways to distract a teacher.  Ally knows this, and she uses every trick in the book to keep her teacher from realizing she cannot read. In Mr. Daniels, however, she’s met her match. He’s determined to figure out the real Ally.  In the process, Ally finds that she is actually very intelligent, and her dyslexia doesn’t have to define her. The
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Favorite October Picture Books

October is such a fun month for picture books! This time of year, everyone is getting excited for the upcoming holiday season and the weather changing. My October pictures favorites include a lot of fun Halloween stories, funny fall books, and plenty of giggles for your students! BONE SOUP BY CAMBRIA EVANS Known across the land for his infamous appetite, Finnigin is never seen without his eating stool, his eating spoon, and his gigantic eating mouth. But, when Finnigin finds himself in a new town on Halloween, he hopes to join a great feast with the creatures who live there. But not a body or soul will share any of their food with the ever-famished Finnigin. So what’s a hungry skeleton to do? Armed only with his wits and a special ingredient, will Finnigin be able to stir up a cauldron’s worth of Halloween magic? MISS SMITH AND THE
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Staying Cool in the Library is my blog, where I share my passion for fostering a love of reading with children. As a librarian, I believe reading should be fun and accessible to all students. That’s why I share engaging and interactive lesson plans, creative ways to build exciting library collections, and resources to inspire even the most reluctant readers in any classroom or library. Check out my blog posts and products in my store, and join my email list below.

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