Our youngest was in T-ball when the baseball took a bad hop and clocked him on the cheek. He returned to the dugout, lips pursed, nostrils flared, about to explode into wild tears of hurt. I was part-way down the stands, ready to give him a hug while he cried it out. Before I […]
Category Archives: Surprise Sunday
August
22
An Anchor Text For Literacy—Ten Truths About Why I Wrote You Are a Reader!/You Are a Writer! by April Jones Prince
posted by CBethM
It’s a new school year, with new faces, new routines… and new books! As you look to encourage and empower your new crew of readers and writers, the two-books-in-one You Are a Reader!/You Are a Writer! can be an anchor text to kick off literacy workshop and invigorate your class throughout the year. You Are […]
May
23
2020 – 2021: When Teaching is Like a Bad Cooking Show by Colleen Cruz
posted by donalynm
My favorite cooking show, and I know I’m not alone in this, is the Great British Baking Show. I love all the support and positivity of the show between the contestants. And I also love the seeming fairness of it. Times and ingredients are within the realm of realistic possibility. Almost all of the mistakes […]
May
16
Finding Our Way Back to Reading Joy: The 13th Annual #Bookaday Challenge by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
How’s it going? A vast question often impossible to answer these days, I know. The pandemic lingers. The school year limps to an end. Teachers, caregivers, and kids are exhausted. In many families, the fear of COVID-19 remains because of their unvaccinated children or health-fragile family members. In Asian American communities, fear of racist harassment […]
April
25
The Beautiful Complexities of Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas – Written by Nawal Qarooni Casiano
posted by CBethM
I inhaled Maverick’s story in just a few breaths, never wanting to leave his side amid the daily saga of his teenage life. I read at the park; I read in the car. As with all good storytelling, the characters feel like friends, and Maverick is one I won’t soon forget. Maverick shows up on […]
March
21
Excerpt: The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty
posted by donalynm
Nerdy Book Club is delighted to share this special excerpt of Jaclyn Moriarty’s The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst, published by Levine Querido. This marvelous book publishes March 23rd. You can find out more information, including ordering information, here. Download this exciting excerpt here! Jaclyn Moriarty is the award-winning author of uniquely creative and readable books […]
March
07
“My Brother Won’t Stop Hitting”: When Children Write about Abuse by Laura Shovan
posted by donalynm
My brother won’t stop hitting, it’s like thunder in the walls, my brother won’t stop hitting, it’s like pouring rain drops… I hold a child’s hand-written poem in my hands. The author – a long ago student from one of my poetry residencies – dated their writing March of 2005. In ten lines, this elementary […]
October
04
Where Are the Introverts–in Your Books and in Your Classroom by Donna Gephart
posted by donalynm
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Or something in between? An ambivert? Before researching for my book, Abby, Tried and True, I’d have told you I’m an extrovert with a sprinkle of introvert thrown in for good measure. Was I ever wrong! After reading articles and watching Susan Cain’s wildly popular 2012 TedTalk, The […]
May
24
An Indie Bookstore During a Pandemic w/ Joanna Parzakonis by Colby Sharp
posted by Colby Sharp
My favorite independent bookstore is Bookbug in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know the owners Joanna and Derek over the years, as I worked closely with them during each Nerd Camp Michigan. The work that they do is inspiring. With the state of Michigan being pretty much shutdown the last couple […]
April
26
It’s Time for a #VirtualFieldTrip to the Everywhere Book Fest! by Anna E. Jordan
posted by CBethM
There were plenty of things about field trips in the “before times” that were difficult. Budgets for busses were minimal, permissions slips never came back, charging for events magnified inequities between students, and chaperones were often hard to find. Even so, we know that authentic experiences with experts inspire children and give classroom learning context. Our […]
Nerdy Book Club 