In Counting by 7’s by Holly Goldberg Sloan (2013 Dial), main character twelve year-old Willow Chance is a genius and she herself admits that she is strange. “But I know it and that takes the edge off. At least for me.” She’s also a young woman of color adopted and beloved by parents so white, “they… Read more »
New & Noteworthy
You’re Wearing That to School!?!
Guest Post by Diane Kress Hower Penelope, the hippo knows exactly how she wants to approach her first day of school until her older, wiser friend, Tiny, tells her the importance of blending in. YOU’RE WEARING THAT TO SCHOOL!?! boldly addresses embracing uniqueness and what might happen if you stand out from the crowd. Will Penelope… Read more »
On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein
ON A BEAM OF LIGHT: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne, pictures by Vladimir Radunsky. For the first three years of his life, Albert Einstein barely said a word. “He just looked around with his big, curious eyes. Looked and wondered. Looked and wondered.” He seemed different than the other children and perhaps it was… Read more »
A Few New Gems for Young Readers
THE HAPPY OWLS by Celestino Piatti (North South, 2013) The origins of this timeless picture book reach back over 100 years ago to Dutch artist, Theo van Hoijtema’s words and illustrations. Piatti, known for his many memorable representations of owls, first published his version of the fable in 1963. He loved owls and wrote,”You can draw an… Read more »
Princess Posey and the New First Grader, by Stephanie Greene
Princess Posey and the New First Grader offers an insightful peek into a tender first grade girl’s social nuances. In it, Posey has a problem. There’s a newcomer in the first grade class, one who threatens Posey’s close friendships, causing her to question her sense of belonging. Grace, the new girl, is the personification of everything that Posey feels she can never be… Read more »
D IS FOR DESERT
D IS FOR DESERT: A World Deserts Alphabet by Barbara Gowan and illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen Think you know something about deserts? Think again and enjoy the fascinating information in this book which will take you to the many deserts around the world. First of all, did you know that deserts cover nearly one-third of our… Read more »
Genre Connections: POETRY
Like her previously published, Comprehension Connections (Heinemann, 2007), Genre Connections: Lessons to Launch Literary and Nonfiction Texts by Tanny McGregor (Heinemann, 2013) is a great go-to resource for teachers looking for concrete, hands-on lessons that introduce students to “Big Idea” concepts. I particularly love Tanny’s idea of launching a unit of study on poetry by asking, “How is a poem like a… Read more »
