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  1. K

    Immigrant kids

    Don’t Cause Trouble by Arree Chung (Henry Holt and Co., 256 pages, grades 4-7). Things don’t look good for Ming on his first day of middle school: his mom has given him his usual bowl haircut, and he’s dressed in the thrift store clothes she insists on buying. Ming’s accidentally placed in an...
  2. K

    Stickler Loves the World by Lane Smith

    Published by Random House Studio Summary: Stickler, an eight-eyed creature who appeared in Lane Smith’s 2022 book A Gift for Nana, loves sticks. And everything else he sees around him. “Oh, to see it all anew!” He gets that chance when he finds a space alien that’s just arrived to...
  3. K

    CowPiggy (Shelley Frankenstein, Book 1) by Colleen Madden

    Published by Top Shelf Productions Summary: Shelley Frankenstein is inspired by her famous ancestor, Dr. Frankenstein, and the monsters he created that still live with the family. Pairing up with her little brother Iggy, she takes apart toys and sews them back together. But her cronkey...
  4. K

    Mock Caldecott 2024 on Teachers Pay Teachers

    As I’ve done the last couple of years, I’ve put together a slideshow with 20 Caldecott contenders to use for a mock Caldecott activity. It includes an introduction to the award, a round-up of last year’s winners, and a slide about each of the books with information about the illustrator and what...
  5. K

    The 12 books of Christmas

    Once again, time has run out for the year. As I look at best books lists from 2023, I see some that I almost reviewed or that I thought about reviewing or that I would have reviewed if I had known about them. Here are a dozen of them. Cat on the Run in Cat of Death! by Aaron Blabey Published...
  6. K

    Five Newbery predictions

    As I’ve done in years past, I’ll be posting some end-of-the-year book lists each day between Christmas and the first few days of January before taking my annual break for the first half of January.  Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow Published by Disney Hyperion Erin Bow takes the grimmest of...
  7. K

    Five Caldecott predictions

    I found the Caldecott pickings a little slim this year, but here are a few that I think could be contenders. I’m selling my mock Caldecott slideshow over at Teachers Pay Teachers if you want to see more choices. The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker Published by Candlewick As with Aaron...
  8. K

    5 favorite picture books

    I’m the first to admit that my taste in picture books is a bit quirky and heavily influenced by what my students are drawn to.  The Umbrella by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld Published by Clarion Books I read this book to preschoolers, and both the kids and their teachers were...
  9. K

    Five favorite middle grade books

    Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by Wallace West Published by Feiwel and Friends Readers will take Chance to heart as he valiantly strives to help his friends at the dog shelter. A perfect read-aloud for any elementary grade, as well as a good first chapter...
  10. K

    5 favorite nonfiction books

    What a Map Can Do by Gabrielle Balkan, illustrated by Alberto Lot Published by Rise x Penguin Workshop My wish for a really good map book for young kids finally came true this year. This one covers all the basics and is super interactive in a way that will greatly appeal to early elementary...
  11. K

    Five favorite graphic novels

    Wildfire by Breena Bard Published by Little, Brown Ink A nuanced and timely story about a family’s losses during a wildfire and the emotions that go with that experience, as well as feelings of powerlessness in the face of climate change. Slime Shop created by Karina Garcia with text by...
  12. K

    Surviving tough times

    The Library in the Woods by Calvin Alexander Ramsey, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (Carolrhoda Books, 32 pages, grades 1-5). When a hailstorm destroys their crops, Junior and his family are forced to leave their farm and move to the city. City living feels strange, with indoor plumbing...
  13. K

    Women’s history book list

    Statue from the Women’s Rights National Historic Park I took a final weekend trip this summer to Seneca Falls, New York, where I visited the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Women’s Rights National Historic Park. I thought about heading up to Rochester to visit the Susan B. Anthony Museum...
  14. K

    Welcome to the world of reading!

    As the year winds down, I’ll be reviewing two final 2024 books in several categories (middle grade fiction, nonfiction, early chapter books, and picture books). During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I’ll post my lists of favorites, then take a break for the first few weeks of...
  15. K

    Sojourner Truth

    Sojourner Truth statue in Florence, Massachusetts As you may have heard, March is Women’s History Month, and to celebrate, I’m visiting women’s history sites here in my home state of Massachusetts. I’ll be posting about them each week in March, starting with a surprising one close to home that...
  16. K

    Susan B. Anthony

    For the second week of Women’s History Month, I headed west to the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams, Massachusetts, where abolitionist and suffragist Anthony was born in 1820. Guided tours are available on the weekends, but I opted to walk through on my own. There are exhibits about...
  17. K

    The Boston Women’s Memorial

    Last weekend–on International Women’s Day, no less–I made my way into Boston to take a look at the Boston Women’s Memorial, a set of three statues on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Abigail Adams, Lucy Stone, and Phillis Wheatley are the subjects, three Massachusetts women who were also...
  18. K

    Salem witch trials

    I regret to inform you that I’m ending this women’s history series on a bit of a downer with my trip to Salem to investigate the witch trials there. Salem has taken a horrific event from its early history and turned it into a thriving tourist industry which peaks every October. The Salem I...
  19. K

    Supernatural friends

    As You Wish by Nashae Jones (Aladdin, 272 pages, grades 5-8). Birdie and Deve have been best friends since the first day of kindergarten, but when Birdie tells Deve of her plans to be more “normal” in eighth grade by getting a boyfriend, Deve reacts coldly and before long they’re in a fight. A...
  20. K

    Immigrant kids

    Don’t Cause Trouble by Arree Chung (Henry Holt and Co., 256 pages, grades 4-7). Things don’t look good for Ming on his first day of middle school: his mom has given him his usual bowl haircut, and he’s dressed in the thrift store clothes she insists on buying. Ming’s accidentally placed in an...

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