I don’t ask people, “How’s it going?” anymore. The pre-pandemic response, a reflexive, “It’s fine,” doesn’t really cut it these days. People have something to say about how it’s really going. No one is fine. The challenges of the past three years have carved us down. Parts are sharper. Parts are missing. Some parts are […]
December
02
Our Eleventh Nerdversary: Where Have All the Nerdy Readers Gone? by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
November
28
Chapter Books to Middle Grade Novels: Stepping Up the Reading Ladder by Michele Knott and Victoria J. Coe
posted by CBethM
Imagine a newly-independent reader who’s ready for longer stories. Chapter books set them up for success, right? Think about it. Chapter books feature appropriate vocabulary, simple sentence structure, appealing characters, and a predictable storyline with a satisfying outcome. And they’re presented in short chapters with lively illustrations. Even better – they come in series! So […]
November
22
Thanksgiving Break Reading Plans by Colby Sharp
posted by Colby Sharp
Reading during breaks from school brings me tremendous joy. I never seem to have enough time during the school week to read as much as I would like, so getting a chance to recharge my reading life during school breaks is often just what the reading doctor ordered. The last thing we did in my […]
November
17
THE STORY UNDER THE CITY UNDER THE CITY by Dan Yaccarino
posted by CBethM
I’m so excited to share my new book, City Under the City! It’s unlike any book I’ve ever created. FORMAT I have a deep abiding passion for picture books,but have been thinking about the early reader/graphic novel format for quite some time. I’ve been telling stories using sequential images my 30-year career in books, but […]
November
12
A Menu of Mentors: Reading for Possibility by Lynsey Burkins and Franki Sibberson
posted by CBethM
“Educators ‘layer texts’ when they teach and learn from multiple powerful texts. These texts are print and nonprint and are intellectually compelling.” Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, Cultivating Genius Anyone who knows us knows that we love a good text set! There is nothing like curating a set of books that helps move children forward as readers […]
November
03
A Tale of Languages and Alphabets by Sam Winston
posted by CBethM
I didn’t realize that most languages have never appeared in books. It feels like a strange thing to say but when working on my latest picture book, One & Everything, I began to focus on the world’s languages, especially the ones with unique writing systems. 5 years in the making and incorporating over 50 different […]
November
02
Write What You Know by Erin Soderberg Downing
posted by CBethM
Controlled Burn is the book I’ve been wanting to write since I started my publishing journey more than twenty years ago, but it took almost fifteen years of writing other books before I truly believed I was a good enough writer to do this story justice. Even though this novel is a tribute to my […]
November
01
The Book A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree Mirrors the Struggle of the Emergent Reader by Daniel Bernstrom
posted by CBethM
I wrote my book A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree after the kinds of books that taught my son to read. Teaching Reading is Hard Work Reading is hard work. Teaching reading is hard work. I remember when my mother tried teaching me how to read. It didn’t go well—for her or me. […]
October
28
Ten Adorable Board Board with Photographs of Real Kids by Jane Whittingham
posted by CBethM
It’s no secret that children’s literature remains sorely lacking when it comes to representation and diversity. Surveys repeatedly show that children are more likely to encounter a talking animal protagonist in a picture book than a child of color. Representation of physical differences and disabilities remains limited as well. One format that continues to shine, […]
October
27
Books My Fifth Graders are Reading A Quarter of the Way Through the School Year by Colby Sharp
posted by Colby Sharp
Every couple of weeks, when my fifth graders head to lunch, I walk around the classroom and make a video about the books that they are reading. I am hopeful that these videos help other educators find great books to add to their school and classroom library, but that isn’t the main reason that I […]
Nerdy Book Club 