“Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read.” ― Marilyn Jager Adams This week we celebrated World Read Aloud Day! I began each class by asking students what they loved about being read to. They shared that reading […]

On Halloween Night
On Halloween Night by Ferida Wolff My rating: 3 of 5 stars I was hoping this book would be a bit ‘scarier,’ but the first graders I read it with sure liked it. Of course, they liked the pattern of the rhyme and the counting up, but what they really loved was being my chorus […]

Up in the Leaves: The True Story of the Central Park Treehouses
Up in the Leaves: The True Story of the Central Park Treehouses by Shira Boss My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the true story of a young man who lived in a crowded New York City and sought out wild places where he could find some peace. At first, he just climbed the […]

A Trip to the Bottom of the Word With Mouse by Frank Viva
A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse: TOON Level 1 by Frank Viva My rating: 4 of 5 stars Frank Viva’s illustrations made this book one that I wanted to read again. Simple, tonal and muted, they drew me in and kept me there. When I learned that Frank had taken a […]

BreakoutEDU for International Dot Day!
Click the link below to read about how we integrated BreakoutEDU into our celebration of The International Dot Day this year! BreakoutEDU for International Dot Day

What If…
What If… by Samantha Berger My rating: 4 of 5 stars I enjoyed this colorful book. The story explores imagination and the question young readers often ask, What if? Creativity knows no bounds or limits. No pencils, use the paper to make origami. No paper, break up the desk and build with the wood. No […]

Silent Days, Silent Dreams
Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say My rating: 5 of 5 stars Caldecott Medalist Allen Say creates a luscious imagined biography of artist James Castle, tells the story of a deaf, mute, dyslexic, autistic man who never learned to read or write. This picture book frames Castle’s silent world. Say’s powerful illustrations in Castle’s […]