** Contact us if you would like to have our evidence-based, engaging Mentor Text or Readers’ Workshop session come to your campus! ** Why I Picked It Up: This book was on the Lone Star List … in 2015! Yep. This wasn’t the first time I picked it up. The first time, I was part way […]
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Book Review: Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story, by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Why I Picked It Up: I had been searching for upper elementary novels with some “meat”, something that would spark curiosity and make students think more globally. I can’t tell you how many books made my Amazon cart that day (because then I’d have to admit I have a problem), but this one stood out as […]
Book Review: Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions, by Chris Barton
Why I Picked It Up: Woosh! was posted on a blog I follow. Unfortunately, I comb through about thirty blog posts a day and I don’t remember which one! However, it was posted and the cover caught my eye. So I tracked it down at our public library. Why I Finished It: As a mom of […]
Book Review: Zero, by Kathryn Otoshi
Why I Picked It Up: It’s one of those picture books that kept coming up on blogs and in stores, but I never picked it up. Mostly because it’s a math book and my concentration has always been ELA/R and Social Studies. I finally saw it at the local library and had to check it […]
Book Review: Just My Luck (Zack Delacruz, book 2), by Jeff Anderson
Why I Picked It Up: I received this book as an ARC and immediately started reading. Truth is, I had the first book and wanted to read that one first, but my son grabbed it from me. One thing my kids know is that I will never take a book away from them, so I […]
Book Review: Con Academy, by Joe Schreiber
Why I Picked It Up: This book is on the 2016 Lone Star List. This list is one of a few places I start when looking for a new YA or middle level book to read. Plus, Sherry and I are working on taking another Battle of the Books team to next year’s competition! Why I […]