A few months ago I set my DVR to record "Mr. Holland's Opus," the 1995 film with Richard Dreyfuss. The movie remained in the DVR for months. Finally, when my husband and I were coming up empty-handed for movies to watch on cable we decided to watch "Mr. Holland's Opus." The movie begins in 1965… Continue reading A Good Movie for the Vacation
Author: Stacey Shubitz
Stacey Shubitz is a K-6 literacy consultant and former elementary teacher. She is the author of CRAFT MOVES and other professional books on writing workshop. Her new book, MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORK FOR YOUR CHILD WITH DISABILITIES (Guilford Press, 2026), empowers parents to navigate the special education system.
Baseball & Two December Holidays
Family. Friendship. Generosity. The great American pastime. Interracial and interfaith friendships. All of these topics are woven together artfully by Sharon Robinson in a new book, Jackie's Gift. This is a true story about Sharon Robinson's father, the great baseball player Jackie Robinson, and her family's first Christmas in Brooklyn, NY. The Satlows are a… Continue reading Baseball & Two December Holidays
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Charro Claus Giveaway Announcement
I'm having technical difficulties with my Flip Camera (i.e., with uploading the video to my computer). Therefore, I'm going to announce the name of the person whose name I picked out of the bowl. Katy will be receiving a copy of Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid, compliments of Cinco Puntos Press. If you missed… Continue reading Charro Claus Giveaway Announcement
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A Persuasive Touchstone Text
Karen Kaufman Orloff wrote I Wanna Iguana, which quickly became one of my favorite texts to use with my students to teach voice in persuasive letter writing. She's out with a new book, I Wanna New Room, which can be added to my growing list of touchstone texts for a persuasive unit. If you're familiar… Continue reading A Persuasive Touchstone Text
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Needs vs. Wants — Winner Announcement
I finally purchased a Flip Video Camera since the video feature on my regular camera broke several months ago. Hence, today's giveaway announcement follows on video below. My apologies for some of the focusing issues... I'm still trying to master this piece of technology. Find out if you won a copy of Charlie and Lola:… Continue reading Needs vs. Wants — Winner Announcement
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Rethinking and Rewriting Princess Stories
My best friend and I are both expecting daughters in 2011. We're been friends since my freshman and her sophomore year of college. We've been in each other's weddings. We simply cannot wait to watch our daughters grow up together! Last Monday, when she called me to announce that her third child would be a… Continue reading Rethinking and Rewriting Princess Stories
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Bilingual Christmas Story + A Giveaway
I've been looking for a good story about Christmas to share for quite a few weeks. Most of the books I've received were either too religious for use in public school classrooms or didn't seem like they'd inspire students. But then, I received a review copy of Xavier Garza's Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid… Continue reading Bilingual Christmas Story + A Giveaway
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Blog Tour
Ruth and I were thrilled that four blogs decided to host stops on our blog tour last week. A big thank you to the following bloggers who read our book and posed thoughtful questions: Franki Sibberson of A Year of Reading Julie Johnson of Raising Readers and Writers Karren Colbert of The Write Brained Teacher… Continue reading Blog Tour
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Giveaway Announcement
There are four book giveaways I'm announcing today. Here are the names that were drawn for each of the following books: A copy of Sweet Moon Baby: An Adoption Tale goes to Annie Campbell. A copy of Eight Winter Nights: A Family Hanukkah Book goes to Kathie. A hard copy of Sammy and His Behavior… Continue reading Giveaway Announcement
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Needs vs. Wants + 2 Book Giveaways
Every morning I receive an e-mail from Zulily.com, which entices me with products for my baby, who is supposed to arrive early next month. Zulily always has fantastic merchandise (e.g., clothes, toys, accessories) at a discount price daily. I want to buy nearly everything I see. However, I realize that I don't need most of… Continue reading Needs vs. Wants + 2 Book Giveaways
