Why I Picked It Up: One super popular session that Sherry and I present is Historical Fusions: Integrating ELA/R, Social Studies, and Technology. I picked up this book to help first and fourth grade teachers teach their students about Sam Houston. Why I Finished It: Truthfully, I learned a lot about Sam Houston’s early life […]
Nonfiction Text
Book Review: Pink is for Blobfish, by Jess Keating
Why I Picked It Up: The cover. Yep, judged this one by the cover and I am glad I did. What a gem. The pink catchy title is one thing, but the most hideous, gelatinous creature with grumpy-man face made me *literally* LOL. After reading about the book, I knew it had to be mine. […]
Book Review: This or That History Debate: A Rip-Roaring Game of Either/Or Questions, by Michael O’Hearn
Why I Picked It Up: We are always looking for engaging books for the elementary classroom, so when this came across one of my many searches. It reminded me of How They Croaked, by Georgia Bragg (one of my faves!), and so I quickly ordered it. Why I Finished It: It’s really addicting. The book arrived […]
Searching for Strong Informational Text
There is no denying that classrooms are beginning to use more and more nonfiction in the classroom. Current research has emphasized the importance of increasing nonfiction reading in the classroom and teachers are now on the hunt for strong texts. There are many places to find strong informational text for students that are engaging for […]
Book Review: A Tower of Giraffes; Animals in Groups, by Anna Wright
Why I Picked It Up: I came across a picture of this book online. I don’t remember if it was on a blog or on Amazon, but I was captivated by the cover, so I immediately ordered this book. Why I Finished It: Admittedly, I didn’t realize what the book was. Maybe I didn’t read […]
Book Review: Open Mic: Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices
Why I Picked It Up: In searching for strong social studies text for our Beyond the Textbook Session, I found this advanced reader’s copy in Sherry’s personal collection. It was definitely a “Jessica book,” so she happily gave me her copy. Why I Finished It: Curiosity! From the beginning I was intrigued by the stories the […]
