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Mathical Book Prize Announced!
“The Mathical Book Prize aims to inspire a love of mathematics in the everyday world in children of all ages. Each year’s winners and honor books join a selective and ever-growing list of new and previously published fiction and non-fiction titles for youth. These titles are as varied as the intersection between…
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Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship
Synopsis: “How can Irene and Charles work together on their fifth grade poetry project? They don’t know each other . . . and they’re not sure they want to. Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is black, use this fictional setup to delve into different experiences of…
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Bringing Middle Grade Books Into Every Classroom
A few weeks ago, I got the distinct pleasure of presenting to future teachers at St. Joseph’s University outside of Philadelphia. The young lady who invited me to speak is a junior at St. Joe’s this year and we just realized that I’ve known her for ten years already! She…
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#blogbookaday: Watersong
Summary: “‘In glorious onomatopoeia, Tim McCanna takes the reader on a dazzling journey as a fox seeks shelter from a rainstorm. Drip Drop Plip Plop Pitter Patter Pat. As the rain begins, a little fox seeks shelter. But then it builds and builds into to a torrential storm. Wash! Wham! Lash!…
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#blogbookaday: Blue Sky White Stars
Summary: “Wonderfully spare, deceptively simple verses pair with richly evocative paintings to celebrate the iconic imagery of our nation, beginning with the American flag. Each spread, sumptuously illustrated by award-winning artist Kadir Nelson, depicts a stirring tableau, from the view of the Statue of Library at Ellis Island to civil rights…
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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 1/15/18
This week I finished four titles (plus the picture books for #BlogBookADay), so I’m feeling pretty good! I read: The Wonderling by Mira Bartok The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish Enginerds by Jarrett Lerner I realized although I have about 20…
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Bea Learns to Be Herself in THE WAY TO BEA
Synopsis: Bea had an amazing summer visiting family in Taiwan, but now she’s back to seventh grade… and it’s not going well at all. She lost her best friend, her mom’s having a baby and she’s not really sure where she fits into the equation. Anytime something embarrassing or frightening…
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2017 Nerdies Awards
If you’re looking for some wonderful suggestions for what to read next, check out the results of the 2017 Nerdies Book Awards, hosted by The Nerdy Book Club. What I love about booklists such as these, is that I rediscover the titles I loved during the past year and get…
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Winter Solstice: 16 Pictures Books About Snow
Happy Winter Solstice today (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere). I’m one of those people who love the idea of snow, but if it makes it difficult for me to do anything, then I get cranky. I think it’s beautiful to look at and it’s so quiet when it’s snowing…
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Random Acts of Poetry Day
Today is Random Acts of Poetry Day! I think poetry often gets a bad rap as people remember poetry for being inaccessible and difficult to understand. People remember having to memorize poetry in school or trying to study poetry to understand what the poet what truly trying to say. Many…