I first fell in love with the work of Matthew Cordell when I read his 2018 Caldecott acceptance speech for Wolf in the Snow, followed by the book itself. Cordell says, On the other end of this human spectrum, children rather terrified me. With their keen, sometimes brutal insightfulness, their unpredictability, and their unrelenting energy. […]
Throughout the school year, I compile a list of award-winning and starred picture books. You can read more about my sources here. Although I’ll keep updating the list until the end of the school year, I thought it might be helpful to those making purchases for next year to see the list so far. Anything […]
It’s Banned Book Week! These two books are exemplary fictional explorations on the subject of book banning. Both book includes reference to real-life book bans, which creates the potential for an ongoing reading list. Often humorous and propulsive these books would make for great classroom or family read-alouds at any time throughout the year. Ban […]
Pam Muñoz Ryan. Excellent school-wide author study potential, as Muñoz Ryan has written picture books, early readers, and novels. Her novels span a range of genres, from historical to contemporary to fantasy. Her books have won multiple awards and honors. Muñoz Ryan was the 2024 Children’s Literature Legacy Award recipient. “People frequently ask me, “What […]
As a category, junior novels can span a wide range of reading abilities and are often referred to by various names. It includes early readers as well as chapter books. Generally, they are marketed to second through fourth graders. Here are a couple of recommended junior novels to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month: Juana and Lucas […]
Rachel Vogus' Habits and Hobbies 