Why I Picked It Up: I originally picked up this picture book thinking it would be a biography. Sherry and I are always working on expanding our popular session Historical Fusions, and so we are continuously searching for quality biographies to add to our collection. Why I Finished It: This book is different from any I have […]
Book Review
Book Review: Port Chicago 50 by Steve Sheinkin
Why I Picked It Up: There were several things that came together to confirm that I’d made a good choice when I picked up this book. I found out about it during a session at the recent Texas Council for Teachers of English Language Arts and Reading (TCTELA) conference about non-fiction. The cover flashed up on the […]
Book Review – Update: The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander
** Contact us if you would like to have one of our engaging mentor text sessions come to your campus! ** Almost a year ago, I reviewed The Crossover with lesson ideas and then began shoving it (sometimes unwillingly) into teachers hands. It seemed like the golden ticket to reluctant adolescent readers. Why would they not […]
Book Review: Diary of a Wombat, by Jackie French
Why I Picked It Up: My youngest son has become obsessed with Australia. His dream right now is to see the Sydney Opera House. So, we were exploring Amazon for all things Australian and this book popped up. I quickly added it to my cart. Why I Finished It: This story is adorable! It isn’t […]
Book Review: Popular by Maya Van Wagenen
Why I Picked It Up: As this year’s Battle of the Books gets closer (next week!!!), I decided to start looking ahead to the 2015 Lone Star List and the 2016 Battle of the Books. As I scrolled down the list, this one stood out to me: Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek. It sounded […]
Book Review: Knucklehead, by Jon Scieszka
Why I Picked It Up: Sherry and I recently attended and presented at TCTELA in Houston. While there, we were most excited about hearing Jeff Anderson and Mark Overmeyer present sessions on revision and troubleshooting a Writers’ Workshop. When Sherry and I got home later that night we busily discussed all the things we were thinking […]
