Choice Lit Topic: Booklists
There are so many wonderful new children’s and young adult books published each year — and there is a lot of dreck out there too. We aim to be curators as we sort through, organize, and group books so that you can find just what you need.
Whether it’s mentor texts for a unit on persuasive writing, or just-right books for a fifth-grade English language learner, we’ve scoured lists of award winners, recommendations from colleagues, and the Kidlitsophere to come up with these lists.
Results
Reorganizing Books in the Reading Support Classroom
You could say teaching is in my blood . . . literally. There is a long line of teachers in my family. My mom is a reading support teacher, and...
Injecting Writing into . . . Everything: Ellipsis Stories
I took my husband to see Mamma Mia on our umpteenth anniversary. No, he didn't want to go, but I promised him if he wasn't having fun in twenty minutes, we could...
Save the Picture Books!
I got the bad news from my friend, Pam Pifer. I opened an email from her and it contained this article from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/us/08picture.html. The reporters note a dramatic...
Primary Series Study
One of my first goals at the beginning of the year for my first and second graders is to help them find and choose books to fill their book bins....
Books and Activities from Around the World to Celebrate the Holiday Season
We're in the midst of the holiday season here in the United States. Often when I visit schools or teacher blogs, or get a peek at other classrooms this time...
Injecting Writing into Everything: Prediction Stories
"What do you think will happen next?" I asked my student Jerome. "I don't know," he said. "If you did know, what would you say?" He paused and looked up,...
Characters I Know Too Well
I knew I would never forget that feeling that washed over me as I read Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. As I sped through the gripping text, I asked myself again...
Using Picture Books to Teach Theme in Grades 3-6
Wikipedia defines theme as "A broad idea, message, or lesson that is conveyed by a work. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless...
Ready-to-Go Readers’ Theater Books
Are you caught up in the "fluency frenzy"? Since the National Reading Panel's report in 2000, fluency has gotten a lot of attention. The good news is that there has...
“This Could Be Our Family”: Books for Children with Lesbian and Gay Parents
My daughter Alysa and her other mother snuggled into the recliner, not saying a word. The only sound I could hear was an occasional page turning. I took this as...
Books for Strategy Studies
I love finding new texts for the classroom. When I read new-to-me books, I often imagine the faces of young learners from past classes reading with me. A time-tested favorite...
Literacy Learning on Presidents Day (BOOKLIST)
As someone who is fairly new to the role of librarian, I have been thinking about the holidays that we celebrate throughout the year and the books available to celebrate...
Bilingual (English/Spanish) Books that Celebrate Language, Family and Culture
By late summer, I am looking forward to so many things -- meeting students and their families, getting a sense of how they will come together and form a new...
Accurate But Not Quite Fluent: Books for Second-Grade Readers in Transition
This summer I have had much to think about as I loop with my first graders into second grade. Knowing their taste for books, I have enjoyed finding books about...
Great Books to Share When Studying the Ecosystem (BOOKLIST)
This year, the district I work for purchased new science textbooks. A committee looked at the state standards, matched those with our district's target statements, and tried to make a...
Biographies Off the Beaten Path
We had a set of biographies in our elementary school library when I was a child. I can still remember exactly where they were on the shelves. I read several...
Making a Difference: Examples from Children’s Literature (BOOKLIST)
Last year, my nine-year-old daughter Ana decided that she did not want gifts at her birthday party. She had heard about other kids who had used their birthday party as...
Character Study in Grades 3-6
When I think about my own reading and the favorite books that I remember from different eras of my life, it is the characters that I remember. I remember Betsy,...
Great Nonfiction for Elementary Students
When I scan the nonfiction shelves of our school library, I notice the quality of nonfiction books for children is so much better than it was years ago. Looking at...
Mentor Texts for Urban Students
I sat back, closed my eyes, and listened to Victoria's voice. I was visiting her fifth grade classroom during writing workshop. She was reading Up North at the Cabin (Chall, 1992). Her...
Mentor Texts for Word Choice (BOOKLIST)
Choosing words in writing is a key to effectively communicating ideas. We talk about word choice all year long in my classroom, no matter which grade I teach. I have...
