Craft Moves · mentor texts · picture book

Comforting Picture Books + Giveaways

These books serve to comfort children during what is a serious and uncertain time. After reading this post, leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of all five books.

current events · interview · picture book

An Interview with the Author of Come with Me + a Giveaway

As educators, we are uniquely positioned to teach children to respect and love each other. We have the power to show them how to make the world a better place. We can shape the next generation of children so they will choose to be accepting of people who look different, have a different set of beliefs, or originate from a different cultural background. This is an enormous responsibility, but we are fortunate if we can do this work to bring about change in our corners of the world.

mentor texts · picture book

Creating Teaching Tools for Picture Books

Summer is the perfect time to seek out new mentor texts for your writing workshop. This post contains 20+ new picture book -- fiction and nonfiction -- suggestions that you can use to lift the level of your students' writing. Plus, there are book giveaways! (Be sure to read the giveaway information carefully at the bottom of the post.)

Author Spotlight Series · picture book

Tackling Difficult Subject Matter in a Picture Book

Author and Illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo talks about the way she tackled the Syrian Refugee Crisis in her new picture book, My Beautiful Birds.

mentor texts · nonfiction · picture book

The Importance of Science: My 2017 #NF10for10 Selections

These ten picture books will not only teach students about important topics in science, but they'll also help kids become better writers.

mentor texts · picture book · Read Aloud

Picture Books in Secondary Classrooms

Picture books are short, visual, and engaging, which makes them perfect for using as mentor texts with elementary AND secondary students.

picture book · Read Aloud · September 11th · september 11th tribute

Remembrance Ideas for the September 11th Anniversary

Educators from around the country share the ways in which they teach about September 11th to their students. This post includes programming and writing ideas, as well as links to videos and picture books you can read aloud.

mentor texts · picture book

Because Kids Need to See Themselves in Books: My #PB10for10

Today is Picture Book 10 for 10, which is a community of educators who share "must-have" picture books for classrooms. My list includes stories that will inspire children to write about their own experiences in new ways.

argument writing · immersion · informational writing · narrative · persuasive writing · picture book · poetry · primary grades · Read Aloud

Teaching the Four Types of Writing Through Texts

Janiel Wagstaff's books will help you teach primary writers about the four types of writing in an engaging way. Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win her series of Stella books.

mentor texts · nonfiction · picture book · Read Aloud

Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10

Today is the annual Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10, hosted by Cathy Mere from Reflect and Refine, Mandy Robek of Enjoy and Embrace Learning, and Julie Balen of Write at the Edge. This is my fourth year participating in this event, which provides me with a chance to share ten nonfiction picture books I have been using as mentor texts with elementary school writers.

informational writing · mentor texts · picture book · writing workshop

I’m Trying to Love Spiders: A Review & Giveaway

When my principal handed me a copy of Bethany Barton's I'm Trying to Love Spiders, I was intrigued.  She had chosen this book as our Everybody Reads title for the month and I was wondering why.  I mean, who would try to love spiders?  Ew. I was immediately impressed with both the colorful illustrations and the… Continue reading I’m Trying to Love Spiders: A Review & Giveaway

picture book · whole book approach

Talking with Megan Dowd Lambert, Author of Reading Picture Books WITH Children

I spend a lot of time writing about ways teachers can use picture books as mentor texts to lift the level of students' writing. Today I want to share the Whole Book Approach with you since it's a way you can enrich the read alouds you're already doing with your students. This post includes an interview with Megan Dowd Lambert, creator of the Whole Book Approach and a giveaway of her new book, Reading Picture Books with Children: How to Shake Up Storytime and Get Kids Talking About What They See.