Today, ReaderKidZ welcomes Sue Ganz-Schmitt, author of PLANET KINDERGARTEN: 100 Days in Orbit, illustrated by Shane Prigmore (Chronicle, 2016), a clever book in celebration of all things Kindergarten and all things space! DIANNE: Thanks for visiting ReaderKidZ, Sue! Pairing kindergarten and space is pure genius! As the flap copy for PLANET KINDERGARTEN suggests, the book prepares “bold young explorers… Read more »
Book Room
When the World Falls Silent…
I knew that BEFORE MORNING (HMH, 2016), another gorgeous collaboration of author Joyce Sidman, and illustrator Beth Krommes, would be stunning. I’ve been a fan of Joyce’s poetry for years and have used many of her Poetry Ideas with students. Similarly, I discovered Beth’s luminous scratchboard illustrations (years before her Caldecott winning picture book, The House in the Night by Susan Marie… Read more »
Gertie’s Leap to Greatness
Gertie Reese Foy has a plan to become the greatest fifth grader in the whole school. And if there’s anyone who can actually pull it off, it’s Gertie. Her plan starts easily enough. Phase One is supposed to be a breeze. She’ll write and deliver the best summer speech the teacher has ever heard, thereby earning the… Read more »
Maybe Something Beautiful
It’s December! With the turning of the calendar to the final month of 2016, it’s time to look ahead to celebrations and gatherings with family and friends. My suggestion? Kick off the month with Maybe Something Beautiful:How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, illustrated by Rafael López. Based on the true story of… Read more »
NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH and THUNDER BOY JR.
NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH and THUNDER BOY JR. by Sherman Alexie Celebrate National Native American Indian Heritage Month – all November – by celebrating Native American literature. Ask your library or bookstore for books written by Native Americans. See through their eyes. Listen to their voices. Here is a new picture book to enjoy… Read more »
The Heart of the Matter
Heart Maps: Helping Students Create and Craft Authentic Writing (Heinemann, 2016) is Georgia Heard’s newest book and while I haven’t had time yet to dig deeply into my personal copy, it seems an appropriate book to suggest for teachers looking for ways to help students make sense of the events in our world. Maps have been part… Read more »
A Passion for Picture Book Biographies
Real people doing real things. Picture Book biographies provide readers with engaging opportunities to learn about the small and large steps ordinary people have taken to accomplish extraordinary things. Beginning as early as second grade, students are expected to “describe the connection between a series of historical events… in a text.” (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3) What better way to… Read more »
