My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay

The importance of friendship and perseverance

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a beautiful book that highlights the importance of bravery and persistence, while crafting an incredibly diverse array of characters. The book follows Zulay, a first grader, who is blind and learning how to use her cane. It's an uplifting story that will surely spark conversation within your classroom about ability and perseverance. Though it's packed with great content, it is a bit long and could be broken into two readings for younger students, who may not be able to sit for the full story.

The gist:

The first half of the book highlights Zulay and her friends as they go about their day at school. They skip down the hall together and help each other with math and writing during class. Then, Zulay's special education teacher comes to help her tackle her "fold-ing, hold-ing, cold-ing cane." Zulay is reluctant to take on the challenge of learning how to use her cane, but she dives in when she decides that she would like to race in her "new pink shoes" in a Field Day event. It's not easy, but after weeks of hard work and perseverance, Zulay runs in the race as her friends cheer her on.

My favorite part(s):

Zulay's disability isn't her only character trait! I know, the bar is on the floor, but the truth is that in books and media, a character's disability is often painted to be their only defining feature. Zulay is a full fledged character in this book and it is never explicitly mentioned that she is blind! Instead, readers are given clues, like the cane she holds on the cover, or the fact that she often relies on her sense of smell and her hearing. This presents Zulay as a person, not a disability. This narrative is so important in that lets students know that a person cannot be defined by one thing.

Also, the Braille alphabet is featured on the book's back cover! The letters of the Braille alphabet are actually raised so students can really feel what reading Braille is like. Students may not have an understanding of what Braille is before reading the book, and this feature can help them understand it.

What you can do:

This book lends itself so well to having a thoughtful conversation about our differences! Identity is a great topic to talk about in all grade levels and can lead to some very necessary discussions. It's very important to talk about tricky topics like ability or race with our elementary schoolers. However, it's essential that we talk about these topics in developmentally appropriate ways so that students are able to understand. Teaching Tolerance is a great resource to use to tackle all sorts of tricky topics with younger students. You can sort texts and activities by grade level and various topics including ability and identity. For example, this page at Teaching Tolerance has some good suggestions of activities to do with elementary schoolers when having a conversation about sight and blindness. My personal favorite activity that they suggest is to have students write in Braille using Elmer's Glue or puffy paint. The glue or puffy paint will dry, leaving raised marks. For younger students, you could write out their names in Braille and then have them "trace" it by putting marks where you did. This seems like a fun and engaging activity that would help students understand how people with visual impairments can still "see" and understand the world around them.

Happy Reading!

Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer

What a heartworming story! 

Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer, written by Carol Brendler and illustrated by Ard Hoyt, is a fun story about a girl named Winnie Finn with unique love of worms! It sends a nice message about the value of hard work and helping others. This book is a nice addition to any classroom collection, as it can easily be integrated into a variety of units.

The gist:

Winnie Finn uses her passion for worms to make her own worm farm and help her neighbors win prizes at the county fair. For her help, her neighbors share their prize money with her and she is able to purchase a new wagon for her worm friends! This book includes accurate information on worms and highlights the value of setting goals and following through.

This book could easily tie into several different units. Though some classrooms may have a full unit on worms, this book could also be used in more general units about soil, plants, or simply environmentalism and composting.

My favorite part:

At the end of the book there are directions on how to start your very own worm farm! Starting a worm farms sounds like a blast and a great way to get students truly interested in how worms work and how they relate to other topics. I did a bit of research, and quite honestly, it seems a bit expensive (the average price of a pound of live worms looks to be about $45 nowadays). But, if several classes were to do a worm farm together, the cost becomes far more reasonable!

What you can do:

Like I said earlier, this book can tie into various science units! However, if you just want to stick with worms, that's fine too! This website has several suggestions for a larger unit on worms, including related books! You can also find very informative videos on YouTube, like this one, and lots of fun, worm-related songs that you can sing with your students!

You can also start a worm farm or a community garden with your class! The book includes directions for starting your own classroom worm farm, but starting a community garden seems equally engaging and likely more cost efficient! After reading Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer, talk to your class about how worms create nutrient rich soil and why that is important for plants. Plants are a common topic in many classrooms, and creating your own garden would surely make the material more engaging and real for students!

Happy Reading!

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

The Art of the Haircut

Since Black History month is coming to a close, I wanted my first post of the week to be by an African American author and relevant to African American culture. (Of course, black history is U.S. history and should be studied and celebrated throughout the year, not just during one month, but that's an argument for a different blog post!) I found just the book I was looking for with Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James. This book celebrates the magic that happens everyday in barbershops across the country and the high that comes with a fresh, new haircut. Winner of the Coretta Scott King award, a Caldecott Honor and a Newbery Honor, this book is certifiably brilliant and a great addition to your classroom.

The gist:

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut follows a young boy going to the barber's shop, and highlights the self-esteem and confidence that comes along with his new haircut. The book captures the feeling of invincibility, pride and self-assurance that comes along with feeling good. Those feelings are contagious, and as the reader, you can't help but feel just a little bit more pride in yourself with every flip of the page.

The illustrations, done by Gordon C. James with oil paint, are stunning. Each page is alive with color and the facial expressions of each character tell an entire story in and of itself. Just look at this beautiful first page!

My favorite part:

The final page of the book features a brilliant note from the author that explains his inspiration for the book as well as certain themes within it. Though students may not necessarily understand all the underlying themes of the book depending on their age and background, it is still an important book that can spark several different conversations.

In the author's note, Derrick Barnes explains that the book not only aims to capture the moment of extreme joy after a good haircut, but also it focuses on the "humanity of black boys... Deep down inside, they wish that everyone could see what they see: a real life, breathing, compassionate, thoughtful, brilliant, limitless soul that matters."

Barnes also explores the cultural relevance of the barber's shop in his note, explaining that it's often the place where "most of us become privy to the conversations and company of hardworking black men from all walks of life." He then goes on to note that, "other than the church, the experience of getting a haircut is pretty much the only place in the black community where a black boy is 'tended to'— treated like royalty." The importance of the barber's shop was something that I'd never thought about before, and I enjoyed reading Barnes's thoughts.

What you can do:

Crown is a great opportunity to talk to students about certain literary techniques. It is full of figurative language and lively metaphors. You can talk to students about what Barnes meant when he wrote: "You came in as a lump of clay, a blank canvas, a slab of marble." What's a metaphor? Did the boy actually come into the barbershop as a lump of clay? What do all three of these metaphors have in common? (Not sure how to tackle talking about figurative language with younger elementary schoolers? Check out this lesson plan on similes and metaphors designed for first graders!)

Want to just focus on critical thinking and reading comprehension instead? This website has some great discussion question ideas! As does this one, which features questions to get students thinking, like: What is something that makes you feel as good as the boy does in this story? What words describe you when you are feeling your best?

Want more information on the author and illustrator? Click here! This website links to several other websites that contain information on the author and illustrator, as well as further information on barber shops and their importance in the African community. It also contains potential discussion questions, suggested activities and similar books!

Happy Reading!

The Moon Book

I see the moon and the moon sees me!

I remember Gail Gibbons being a staple in my childhood classrooms, which is partially why I was drawn to reread this book! Sure enough, this book made it clear why Gail Gibbons is vital author to have in any classroom library. The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons is an incredibly informative book that easily ties into any larger unit about outer space. It is full of facts that are sure to impress your students and answer many of the burning questions they may have about the moon. It's very organized, so it's easy to find the information you need. Because it's so chock-full of information, I'd suggest splitting it up into two or more readings, especially for younger elementary school students.

The gist:

The Moon Book details the moon's movements and phases and talks about how we've studied and explored it throughout history. It tackles common misconceptions held by students about the moon (does the moon change shape? Is it really made of cheese?) and covers nearly every question your students could have! From eclipses to tides, this book explores a wide range of topics, yet dives deeply into each one and easily integrates scientific terms. It's incredibly informative and a necessity to any unit about space.

My favorite part(s):

The illustrations are incredibly illuminating and make some tough concepts easy to understand. Many illustrations contain captions that highlight and explain vocabulary word. For example, this one makes it clear to students what the word "orbit" means.

Another thing I loved about this book is that it contains a few pages at the end that include extra fun facts, a timeline of "Moon Milestones" and a section on myths and legends surrounding the moon! I personally love learning about myths and legends in other cultures and I think that integrating other cultures into the classroom is really important.

What you can do:

The first grade classroom that I'm currently volunteering in just did a great unit on outer space. One activity was a huge success in particular: rocket building! Students brought in recyclables (paper towel and toilet paper rolls, old plastic containers, plastic forks, ect) and made their own rockets during one of our Language Arts rotations. They absolutely loved using what they'd learned about rockets to build their own and letting their creativity soar as they decorated them with markers and tin foil. I was impressed by how many students told me about various more technical parts of their rockets, like why their rocket had detachable boosters or needed an aerodynamic, cone-shaped nose.

Here's a great lesson plan that actually uses The Moon Book! It's mostly based on a KWL (know, want to know, learned) approach, which is a great way to access students' schemas. This lesson plan provides some great ideas on questions to ask your students and (my favorite part) it includes a nice song about the moon as a warm up to the lesson which is a great way to engage students and sneak in some learning in a fun way!

Want more? Here's another great lesson plan that incorporates The Moon Book! Feel free to mix and match activities and worksheets from both of the lesson plans in order to create one that's perfect for your particular classroom.

Happy Reading!

Gurgles and Growls: Learning About Your Stomach

When we eat food, what happens to it? 

Gurgles and Growls: Learning About Your Stomach by Pamela Hill Nettleton and illustrated by Becky Shipe answers that very question! This book is a great introduction to the digestive system for our younger elementary school friends. It uses simple language to break down a complicated system and is a good way to kick off a unit about the human body!

The gist:

Gurgles and Growls: Learning About Your Stomach is a great introduction to the digestive system. It narrates how the digestive system turns food into energy and contains simple but informative illustrations that help students conceptualize what exactly is going on in their stomaches.

The book finishes by talking about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. This can be used as a great segue to talk about nutrition with your students! With obesity continually on the rise around the world, it's a good idea to talk to students about the importance of eating healthy.

My favorite part:

This book uses very simple language and has informative illustrations, which means it's a great resource for Kindergarten and 1st grade! However, 2nd grade and up probably requires a book that uses more technical terms and goes deeper into the digestive system.

What you can do: 

The human body is an incredible topic to tackle as a class because there's so much to learn and so many fun activities out there to facilitate learning! The book suggests some additional resources, including other books and the Fact Hound website. The website links to three other websites that provide ample information on the digestive system and how to talk about it with students. Click here to access the Fact Hound website.

The book also suggests one activity, where students get to "be" a stomach by putting food in a plastic baggie and mashing it up. This lesson plans walks through a similar activity very thoroughly and provides some good questions to get your students thinking.

Speaking of activities, click here to view an incredible blog with lots of different activities that incorporate the digestive system! There's a suggested math activity, a science experiment, and even a fun song you can teach your students! I'm so happy that I stumbled upon this blog and will definitely be checking in out again for other lesson plan ideas!

Happy Reading!

A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups

Have you herd about this book?

A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups by Anna Wright was just too gorgeous for me not to review! This book explores social groups of animals and the (often) silly words we use to describe them. It's a beautiful book to supplement a unit on animals or discuss the concept of collective nouns. Plus, it lends itself well to a fun, follow-up art activity!

The gist:

A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups details collective nouns used to describe groups of animals. The book highlights the unique words that we use, like "a parcel of penguins" or a "prickle of hedgehogs." It talks about the various social needs of animals and provides some more information on their lives and routines.  This book can be used as a fun supplement to a unit on animals or to explore the concept of collective nouns.

My favorite part:

It's gorgeous. As a lover of interior design and fabrics, Anna Wright often brings a unique style into her books. This book is no different. The bodies of the animals are decorated with watercolors, fabric and feathers, creating an array of stunning textures and patterns. One of my personal favorites is the flock of sheep, which are decorated with various patterns of knit yarn! How clever is that?

What you can do:

This book can be worked into a larger unit on animals and can easily be followed by a fun art activity where students make collages! I think it would be a blast to have students draw their own group of animals, whether it be a "herd of elephants" or a "romp of otters," and then decorate them with various materials (fabric, yarn, feathers, even magazine clippings). Fabric stores typically sell scraps cheaply, so it'd be easy to pick up a few patterns with various textures for students to use. An activity like this would allow students to be incredibly creative and surely be lots of fun! 

Reading is Fundamental provides some great suggestions on what to do with your students when reading this book, including discussion questions and follow up STEM activities. Click here to visit their website and see what resources they provide.

Love this book and want more? Here's another book worth checking out! Though I haven't read An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns by Betsy Rosenthal, it sounds very engaging. Similar to A Tower of Giraffes: Animals in Groups, it explores the wacky words we use to describe groups of animals. However, this book uses rhymes and humorous illustrations to catch readers' attention and has gotten great reviews from students and teachers alike. I'll definitely be adding it to my list of books to read!

Happy Reading!

She Persisted Around the World

Who run the world? Girls!

March is nearing quickly and with it comes Women's History month! Celebrate the contributions of women throughout history with the book She Persisted Around the World, written by Chelsea Clinton and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger. It's an empowering book that tells the story of 13 women around the world, who's persistence changed history.

This book is a little more advanced than some of the other books I've chosen to write about, but it's so great I just couldn't help but include it! That said, I would say it's probably best suited for second grade and up.

The gist:

She Persisted Around the World highlights 13 women who changed history around the globe. These women broke barriers in science and sports, arts and activism, poetry and politics, and more. Despite discrimination and constant challenges, these women persevered and made a difference in their communities. Each profile talks about where the women came from, what challenges they faced, how they overcame them and why what they did made the world a better place.

This book is a great opportunity to talk to students about gender inequality, past and present, and the importance of perseverance.

What's more is the illustrations are gorgeous! Each page has a new color scheme with colors that pop off the page. This portrait of Malala Yousafzai is one of my favorites!

The book highlights Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz, Caroline Herschel, Kate Sheppard, Marie Curie, Viola Desmond, Mary Verghese, Aisha Rateb, Wangari Maathai, J.K. Rowling, "Sissi" Lima do Amor,  Leymah Gbowee, Yuan Yuan Tan, and Malala Yousafzai.

My favorite part(s):

The diversity! In schools we often have a very narrow view of history. Rarely do we talk about influential figures in other countries (and especially rarely do we talk about about figures that aren't European). She Persisted Around the World does a great job of highlighting incredible women who often overlooked in the dominant narrative of history. There are women in this book who'd I'd never heard of before, and I'm so excited to learn more about them!

I also love the intersectionality! This book highlights many aspects of identity and doesn't just highlight women who fought for feminist causes. For example, both the sections on Mary Verghese and Aisha Rateb also include mention of disability. Although intersectionality might be a bit of a tough concept to tackle with elementary school students, this book could prompt a great discussion with students on their identity!

What you can do:

Talk to your students about a time that they've persisted through a challenge. What happened? Why did they persist? How did they feel afterward? Have them write about it and share with a partner.

Choose one of the highlighted women and create an interdisciplinary lesson that dives deeper into her story! For example, for Wangari Maathai, you could talk to students about environmentalism and resources that come from the earth. You can talk about how seeds grow or why trees are important. I can just imagine how happy students would be carrying home a little seedling that they've planted after having discussed how plants grow and Wangari Maathai!

Organize a lesson or two to celebrate Women's History month! Click here to check out some fun ideas for activities to do with your students.

Double check your teaching practices. Studies show that teachers treat their male and female students differently. Do you?  Click here to read a quick article about gender equality in the classroom and what you can do it promote it.

Happy Reading!

In My Backyard: Moles

The In My Backyard Books by Kate Riggs and Lindsy J. O'Brien are perfect for your budding naturalists!

Kids always want to know more about their surrounding environment and animals tend to be especially intriguing for them. The In My Backyard books by Kate Riggs and Lindsy J. O'Brien highlight some of the animals that kids are most likely to encounter— the ones that are in their backyard! This collection of books covers six topics: chipmunks, frogs, mice, robins, squirrels and of course, moles.

In My Backyard: Moles caught my attention because I remember my classmates and I going through an obsession with moles in first grade. Weird? Yes. But understandable? Also yes! Moles are incredible little creatures!

They might be almost blind, but they live vibrant lives! They're cute, they're furry, and they can eat more than 50 pounds of worms in a year!

The gist:

In My Backyard: Moles is a great book to tie into a lesson about your local biodiversity! This book is an introduction to the life cycle of moles and includes information on their physical attributes, their diets, the tunnels in which they live and their predators. Its stunning, high-quality photographs of various species of moles are sure to capture your students' attention. The text uses simple language and highlights new vocabulary for easy discussion with students. In addition to the main text, there are fun-facts on the bottom of every page! It's a winner in my book (haha), and I'll be sure to check out the other books in the In My Backyard series!

My favorite part: 

The book ends with a suggested activity that can easily be adjusted for your classroom. It also includes websites for additional mole-related activities and resources!