The Big List of Online Learning Resources for COVID-19 and Quarantine

April 22, 2023March 16, 2020 by Ricki

If you are anything like us right now, you are quietly panicking a bit. Our young children (three, in Ricki’s case) are home for quite a while, and they cannot go to public places. This is different from the summer because…they cannot go to public places. Our parenting strategy is always to keep them busy. Our kids thrive on trips to the playground, visiting museums, play dates, etc. When we keep ourselves busy, everyone does well.

We know that online learning content offers a lot for kids. We did some hunting, and we found some screen-time options that offer great educational content. Luckily for us all, there are many generous people and companies offering educational opportunities for our kids. We’re sharing the list below and invite you to share other options! Something we are trying to remember—this will hopefully be a short time period. We all hope this passes quickly. In the meantime, we are all going to do the best that we can. Solidarity with the parents and guardians out there. <3 BE WELL!

There are some incredible authors who are doing LIVE (yes, LIVE!) readings and doodle alongs of their books. We are, quite frankly, blown away and in awe of these authors. Ricki’s and Kellee’s children are loving so many of these! Here’s amazing opportunities (some available for a limited time) for our children/students as we move to digital/distance learning:

Read Alouds

Mac Barnett, author of EXTRA YARN, SAM AND DAVID DIG A HOLE, THE TERRIBLE TWO, Shapes Series; THE TERRIBLE TWO, and so many more!

Mac is reading is books in order of publication, and he has over 40 books. We will be watching him every single day! He’s quite entertaining! Follow him on Instagram* to watch live at 12pm PST or watch the video within 24 hours! He recommends that kids wear a hat, and he answers questions at the end.

Starting 3/28, Mac Barnett switched to read alouds on Monday through Friday with a Live Cartoon on Saturdays.

Starting 4/2, Mac Barnett moved to using IGTV which means the read alouds do not expire at 24 hours! And he is going back to reread all of the books that expired on IG Live.

Starting 6/1, Mac Barnett is moving to once a week Book Show Club Book Show meetings on Saturdays.

Oliver Jeffers, author of STUCK, LOST AND FOUND, The Boy Series, THE INCREDIBLE BOOK EATING BOY, ONCE UPON AN ALPHABET, HERE WE ARE, and so many more!

At 2pm EST and 11am PST starting on Monday, Oliver Jeffers will read one of his books every weekday on Instagram* Live and talk about “some of the things that went into making it.” He talks about what he was thinking when he made each book, which is really neat to learn. He is archiving the videos on his website.

As of 4/29, Oliver Jeffers finished reading all of his books and is no longer doing Stuck at Home Book Club; however, they all are available on his website.

Kate Messner, author of the Over and Under Series, Ranger in Time Series, HOW TO READ A STORY, and so many more!

Kate Messner, who is always an ally to educators!, has put together a list of resources for us: “Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere–Spring 2020” which includes so many videos, activities, and other resources!

She has also gotten permission from her publisher to do read alouds on her You Tube Channel! Including the upcoming OVER AND UNDER THE RAINFOREST which doesn’t come out until August!

There are read aloud opportunities for older kids, too!

Audible is offering limited free audiobooks while school is out!

Jason Reynolds is moving his National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program online with videos and other virtual storytelling lessons through his “Write. Right. Rite. series” on the Library of Congress website.

K.A. Holt is reading from House Arrest on her YouTube channel.

Laurie Halse Anderson is promoting the #QuarantRead book club on Twitter where all ages may ask her questions.

On her YouTube channel, Kathy Burnette is reading Tracey Baptiste‘s THE JUMBIES and hopes to read more after that.

Grace Lin is doing read alouds from her books on You Tube.

Kenneth Oppel is doing daily read alouds from his books on You Tube.

Dan Gemeinhart is doing a Coyote Sunrise Book Club & Read Aloud on You Tube.

On Facebook and You Tube, Neal Shusterman is going to do a Storyman Virtual Reading Series reading some of his less well-known short stories. He’ll be posting two or three times a week.

At-Home with Kwame Alexander includes many videos including a reading of Crossover that has been added during the quarantine.

Dav Pilkey is joining in! He’s read from Dog Man and done some drawing on You Tube during Dav Pilkey at Home.

And find your next read by checking out First Lines, a video where 27 authors share the first lines of their books.

Audio Book Sync is back! SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for teens 13+. Returning April 30th and continuing 13 weeks until July 29, SYNC gives participants two thematically paired audiobooks a week.

Other Amazing Literacy Resources for All Ages

As we’re moving to digital learning for our country, there has been a lot of questions about copyright behind educators recording themselves reading texts to their classes. In this tumultuous time, publishers have kindly banded together and are giving guidelines for fair use for online storytimes and read-alouds during COVID-19 school closures.

Here’s an article from School Library Journal about the adapted policies publishers are putting forth to help educators (updated 4/15).

Dan Santat has created the SANTAT ONLINE SURVIVAL SCHOOL FOR THE PANDEMIC #DANDEMIC! He’ll be sharing lessons on Instagram, and all lessons are available in a Drop Box as well.

Josh Funk has many activities on his website for his books.

Jarrett Lerner has activities such as “Finish the comic” on his w e bsite.

Grace Lin is starting a new podcast called Kids Ask Authors which debuted this week!

Penguin Teen has a podcast called We Are YA, and they have added new episodes called The Check In, starting with Randy Ribay.

11 Free Reading Websites for Kids

Log into Kanopy or Libby (Overdrive) and download free books (provided by libraries).

The New York Times provides daily writing prompts for free for students.

Kids can write to Pete the Cat!

Publishers Weekly posted a story on how the kid lit community responded in our time of need.

Deborah Zemke is sharing activity sheets on her website that are based on her doodle, chapter, and picture books, and the 101 Ranger Rick cartoons that she’s done over the years.

Penguin Random House Audio is offering a collection of free audiobook downloads for teachers and parents with kids home from school – or anyone looking for a great story right now. The free “Listen at Home” collection of classic titles is accessible via Penguin Random House Audio’s Volumes app (through 4/30).

Time for Kids has released their entire Digital Library free for the rest of the school year.

Also, amazing news: Kid Lit Authors are joining together and organizing a virtual book festival for May called Everywhere Book Fest which is archived and available.

Follow #CandlewickClassroom on social media to see videos including #WriteWithKate, weekly writing prompts and tips from Kate DiCamillo, from Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick is also hosting Instagram Live events, including My First Book Club Live with Shannon and Dean Hale talking about Princess in Black. Also, they have a You Tube playlist called Stay Home with Candlewick Press which have short and fun educational videos.

Candlewick Press also created a book about the coronavirus for children and are offering it as a free download.

Meg Cabot has found entries from Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia’s diary, and is sharing them free on her blog with The Princess Diaries – Quarantine Edition.

The Children’s Literature Assembly of NCTE (CLA) has started a twice-weekly blog intended to support PreK-12 and university teachers as they share children’s literature with their students in all classroom contexts. Each entry highlights a great online resource available for teachers and how it might be effectively utilized, or offers a description of a short lesson using children’s literature that educators can use in their newly located classes. New entries are posted every Tuesday and Thursday at noon.

Our friend Beth Shaum as put together a list of free or inexpensive e-book access during the quarantine.

#OneBookConnects is a part of Read to Them, a non-profit organization that focuses on family literacy, and is an “opportunity for families and schools to read the same book together digitally.”

And don’t forget publishers always have amazing educator guides for us to use!

Abrams: https://www.abramsbooks.com/academic-resources/teaching-guides/

Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/communities/teachers-librarians/teaching-and-study-guides/

Candlewick: https://www.candlewick.com/authill.asp?b=Author&pg=1&m=actlist&audssmenu=0200&pix=n

Chronicle: https://www.chroniclebooks.com/ (search for the book and look at available resources)

Cinco Punto Press: https://www.cincopuntos.com/teacher_resources.sstg

Disney Books: https://books.disney.com/educator-teacher-guides/

HarperCollins: https://harperstacks.harpercollins.com/resources/

Lee & Low: https://www.leeandlow.com/educators/teacher-s-guides

Macmillan: https://us.macmillan.com/educators/

Peachtree: https://peachtree-online.com/resources/teachers-guides-event-kits/

Penguin: https://www.penguin.com/school-library/teaching-guides-activity-kits/

Random House: https://www.rhteacherslibrarians.com/resources/

Simon & Schuster: https://www.simonandschuster.net/search/books/_/N-m2sl

Sourcebooks: https://www.sourcebooks.com/librarian-educator-resources.html

Guides we’ve shared here on Unleashing Readers: https://www.unleashingreaders.com/?s=guides&submit.x=0&submit.y=0 https://www.unleashingreaders.com/?s=educator+guide

**Please note: This is just a small sampling of all of the amazing publisher resources out there!

Doodle Alongs

Ben Clanton, Author of the Narwhal and Jelly Book Series, BOO WHO?, and so many more!

Ben Clanton will be reading and drawing Tuesday and Friday this week. Our kids are very excited for this one.

Note: Now that these FB Live events have passed, Ben is moving to Instagram* Live each Monday at 12:30pm ET.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the Lunch Lady Series, HEY KIDDO!, and so many more!

At 2pm ET, Jarrett will be doing a live webcast! And since it is on his You Tube channel, if you cannot watch live, they will be archived. We cannot wait to see what Jarrett will teach us to draw!

Mo Willems, author of the Elephant & Piggie Series, Pigeon Series, Knuffle Bunny Trilogy, and so many more!

Mo Willems is hosting a lunch doodle each day at 1pm ET. “Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together.” Lunch Doodles with Mo ran for 3 weeks and ended on April 3rd.

During the month of May, Mo hosted Thank-O-Rama each Thursday in May at 1pm ET.

Matt Tavares, author of Red & Lulu, Crossing Niagra, and so many more!

Matt Tavares, on his Facebook page live at 10am ET, is hosting Monday Mornings with Matt! The videos are saved on his page to view later.

More Art-Focused Activities

On his You Tube, Nathan Hale is doing an Adventure Comic activity called Cooped Up Comics and other fun activites!

These coloring pages from some of our favorite illustrators.

Access Art for Kids Hub for basic drawing videos for kids!

Many museums are offering virtual tours including the 12 shared in this article.

And many museums are stepping up on their blogs and websites to give us activities and resources to help with quarantine distance learning. For example, the Inside LSU MOA (LSU Museum of Art) blog has art activities and stories in art activity.

@MrsVelazquezArt has created a guide to art at home!

A wonderful blog that focuses on learning through play with lots of crafts and art activities is LearnCreateLove.

Crayola is hosting online seminars about creative thinking and learning. They also always have online resources to add creativity to your kids’ lives.

Disney’s YouTube channel includes #DrawWithDisneyAnimation!

The Knock Knock Children’s Museum has started a Knock Knock at Your Door series to continue their objective even while closed.

Art Time Today with retired Elementary Art Teacher and Arts Ed Professor (and my Art in Elementary teacher at UCF!) Cheryl Smith includes lessons for all ages of kids!

Mark Siegel and the 5 Worlds team has released a free sample of their coloring book for the book series.

STEM-Related Activities

Zoologist, artist, and author Jess Keating is releasing Keating Creature Activity Pages with a new creature featured on each one!

Visit the Cincinnati Zoo at 3pm ET/1pm MST Live where they highlight an animal each day on Facebook Live and include an activity to do. (Available to watch later in the day, as well).

Find a science-related video at Mystery Science! (Free memberships with some content available).

The Shirley Journal blog created a 30 day LEGO Challenge calendar!

This doc shares Engineering Activities for Kids (when under quarantine).

The Georgia Aquarium has live webcams for their exhibits, so you can go under the sea at home.

Code.org is a nonprofit focused on getting computer science to every kid!

Mass Audubon has many resources including nature BINGO.

Kiwi Co., a company that has STEM focused monthly subscription boxes, is now updating their At-Home Resources for Kids (and their grownups) daily to help with STEM activities while schools are closed.

Oceans Initiative, whale experts from Seattle, have shared a free, virtual marine biology camp to entertain and inform kids while schools are closed.

MakerMaven has shared resources for distance learning including STEAM challenges and other STEM Resources.

The Orlando Science Center has created OSC At Home: Resources and Activities for Engagement and Education While at Home.

Ripley’s Aquariums has an At Home page which has Live Events including storytimes, Q&As, and more; Educational Materials; and Live Streams.

Sea World has so much to offer: Animal Info Books, Classroom Activities, Teacher’s Guides, Saving a Species video series, and Animal Bytes.

History and Social Studies Related

The Erie Canal History Museum has provided the public with a virtual tour on You Tube and Educational Resources.

Travel the world with Travel Kids.

[Canadian] “Indigenous educators volunteer to teach short K-8 lessons online amid school closures”

Little Passports, a company that has social studies focused monthly subsrciption boxes, has opened up their activities for fun learning at home to all.

Physical Education

Do some Cosmic Kids Yoga with the kids.

Virtual dance lessons for kids or the Just Dance Kids videos are uploaded on this account!

Music

There are live virtual concerts that are available to watch during the shutdown.

Multiple Curriculum Lessons

Scholastic has rolled out FREE! Learn At Home lessons that are very easy to follow Scholastic lesson plans (book, video, discussion questions)! They also shared that more will be coming.

PBS Learning Media has curated standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for educators, and PBS Digital Studios has a ton of content in many different content areas.

Other Fantastic Learning Explorations

Our friend Jenny Seiler has put together an Edu Resources Padlet with lots of resources as well–it is separated by type of experience and is continuously being added to!

Join Miss Megan’s Camp Kindergarten for Morning Meeting (ages 3-7)! Videos are posted to the website and can be accessed whenever you are eating breakfast!

Join Mr. Jon and Friends weekday mornings live for musical fun at 10:30am EST/ 7:30am MST (or watch later on the page).

Try out a free kids’ recipe from Raddish Kids.

Go on a virtual field trip including 30 National Parks!

There is this great list of 150+ Enrichment Activities for children while their parents work remotely.

Zoom is being kind and allowing their service for free! Zoom will easily allow anyone to have face to face meetings. And a kind educator created a document for instructions for students/kids.

Learn in Color, another education-focused blog, has compiled “75+ Entertaining and Educational Activities for When You’re Stuck Indoors” including a BINGO card to complete with the activities.

We Are Teachers is a fantastic resource for many resources including lists of podcasts, TED Talks, online learning resources, and, like us, they have curated a list of authors doing online reading and activities.

Disney and Kennedy Space Center are offering free online activities, such as Facebook Live events and imagineering in a box, for kids during school closures.

Washington Teachers’ Union has created Lessons on TV where each day of the week will feature a 30-minute lesson for a particular grade group. (Mondays – Early Childhood 1st Grade; Tuesdays – 2nd & 3rd Grade; Wednesdays – 4th & 5th Grade; Thursdays – Middle Grades; and Fridays – High School)

John Krasinski is hosting Some Good News on You Tube. Not exactly education-focused, but it is good for life in general.

* Please note: Instagram Live recordings can be watched for 24 hours after the
recording before they expire, and they have to be watched from your phone.

What are some ideas that you’ve found? Share them in the comments! We are in this together. <3

Please note: This post was updated by us often from its publication until May 31st, 2020. After 5/31, the links and information may not be as accurate.

Trent’s Favorite Books as of his 6th Birthday

February 14, 2021February 20, 2020 by Kellee

My little man is quite the reader. It makes me emotional just talking about it because it is just so wonderful to see your child love the thing you love so much.

I’ve always tracked on Goodreads what Trent and I read together. This year he is at about 370 books! And this doesn’t even count what he reads with his teacher and librarian at school–I get these amazing emails from his teacher listing all of the books she reads, and she reads at least 10 a week! (I just don’t track them on Goodreads since it is my account, and I didn’t read it with him.) Because of all this reading, he received is “500 books” button at school this week!

All of this means that there were many books for him to choose as his favorite, and when I asked him to narrow down his list, he said, “But these are my favorites; how can I get rid of anything?” with a shocked look on his face, so without further adieu, I present Trent’s VERY LONG list of favorite books as of his 6th birthday (in no particular order).

Picture Books (Stand Alone)

Let’s Do Nothing by Tony Fucile
Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner
Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz, Illustrated by Dan Santat
Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You! by Sonia Sotomayor, Illustrated by Rafael López
Truman by Jean Reidy, Illustrated Lucy Ruth Cummins
Jasper & Ollie by Alex Willan
It’s NOT Hansel & Gretel by Josh Funk, Illustrated by Edwardian Taylor
A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz, Illustrated by Catia Chien

The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
When Sadness is at Your Door by Eva Eland
The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Red & Lulu by Matt Tavares
This Book is Not about Dragons by Shelley Moore Thomas, Illustrated by Fred Koehler
We Don’t Eat our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
Be Quiet! by Ryan T. Higgins

I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbit
Fred’s Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers by Laura Renauld, Illustrated by Brigette Barrager
Rot, the Cutest in the World by Ben Clanton
Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich
What Do You Do With All That Poo? by Jane Kurtz, Illustrated by Allison Black

Picture Books (Series)

Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast by Josh Funk, Illustrated by Brendan Kearney
Our Universe by Stacy McAnulty
The Lost Books by b.b. Cronin
The Shapes Trilogy by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Nibbles by Emma Yarlett
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester, Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri
Flubby by J.E. Morris
Elephant & Piggie Like Reading series by Various (Dan Santat, Laurie Keller, Charise Mericle Harper, Bryan Collier, LeUyen Pham, Ryan T. Higgins)

Early Chapter Books (all series)

Mr. Putter and Tabby by Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Arthur Howard
Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
Yasmin by Saadia Faruqi, Illustrated by Hatem Aly
Inspector Flytrap by Tom Angleberger, Illustrated by Cece Bell
Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo, Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Charlie and Mouse by Laurel Snyder, Illustrated by Emily Hughes

Mia Mayhem by Kara West, Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez
Fergus and Zeke by Kate Messner, Illustrated by Heather Ross
Chick and Brain by Cece Bell
Dragon by Dav Pilkey
Princess in Black by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Mark Teague

Graphic Novels (also all series)

Narwhal and Jelly by Ben Clanton
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
Fox & Chick by Sergio Ruzzier

Mo Willems (yes, he gets his own section because Trent LOVES his books)

Elephant & Piggie series
Knuffle Bunny series
Pigeon series
Unlimited Squirrels series
Leonardo, the Terrible Monster & Sam, the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World!
That is NOT a Good Idea

Phew! There you have it: the books that Trent chose to share with you all as his favorites! If you are ever interested in what Trent and I read, you can check out our Goodreads shelf.

Past “Trent’s Favorite Books” Posts

Kellee and Trent’s Favorite Picture Books: First Three Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: Three to Six Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: Six to Nine Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Books: Nine to Twelve Months

A First Year Full of Books: Trent’s Journey Through Books
**Check this one out if you haven’t–it is one of my favorite posts ever!**

Trent’s Favorite Books: One to Two Years Old

Ten of Trent’s Favorite Books as of His Third Birthday

Ten(ish) of Trent’s Favorite Books as of His Fourth Birthday

Trent’s Favorite Reads as of His Fifth Birthday

The Forest Queen by Betsy Cornwell

May 30, 2019May 16, 2019 by Ricki

The Forest Queen
Author: Betsy Cornwell
Published: August 7, 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Guest Review by Rachel Krieger

Summary: When sixteen-year-old Sylvie’s brother takes over management of their family’s vast estates, Sylvie feels powerless to stop his abuse of the local commoners. Her dearest friend asks her to run away to the woods with him, and soon a host of other villagers join them. Together, they form their own community and fight to right the wrongs perpetrated by the king and his noblemen.

Review: Anyone familiar with the tale of Robin Hood likes the idea of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Betsy Cornwell’s twist on this idea changes it just enough to give the story some flavor and novelty. The characters were compelling and the relationships were truly touching, but everything felt a little too convenient to me. There were several times when characters all but died and ended up making it out without a scrape. In a world where all of the favorable characters are on the lamb, there was a fair amount of luck and inaction that saved nearly every one of them. As a gender bent twist on a fairytale and a lively retelling of an old story, this novel had merit, but there wasn’t quite enough to it to call it a masterpiece.

However, as far as representation goes, Betsy Cornwell hit it on the head. The Forest Queen, as the title lets on, has a female leading things. The role of Robin Hood was usurped by a woman and amplified by the fact that the woman is stealing from her own family to give to the poor. The other females in the novel show strength in the face of things like rape and a shocking lack of agency. There are even LGBTQ characters that add to the sense that women in this world are the epitome of overcoming their circumstances.

Teacher’s Tool For Navigation:This novel is a great outlet in which to discuss rape culture. Although it is not the most prominent part of the story, it plays a part and is represented in an ideal way in relation to discussion. Because this subject is extremely difficult to discuss in general, let alone in a classroom, talking about it within the realm of this fantastical society may make it a bit easier. It would be interesting to reflect upon the similarities between the culture in the novel and our own culture in this society. It is so incredibly important to discuss difficult subjects in the classroom, but when it is in reference to a novel like The Forest Queen, it can be looked at in a more academic way.

Discussion Questions:

Did Sylvie have a right to encourage the village people to rebel against her brother?
What do the ties to the story of Robin Hood do for this novel?
How do women take power in this story and how does that differ from classic fantasy?

Read This If You Loved: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Recommended For:

Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier

May 30, 2019April 25, 2019 by Ricki

Isle of Blood and Stone
Author: Makiia Lucier
Published: April 10, 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Guest Review by Rachel Krieger

Summary: Nineteen-year-old Elias is a royal explorer, a skilled mapmaker, and the new king of del Mar’s oldest friend. Soon he will embark on the adventure of a lifetime, an expedition past the Strait of Cain and into uncharted waters. Nothing stands in his way…until a long-ago tragedy creeps back into the light, threatening all he holds dear.

The people of St. John del Mar have never recovered from the loss of their boy princes, kidnapped eighteen years ago, both presumed dead. But when two maps surface, each bearing the same hidden riddle, troubling questions arise. What really happened to the young heirs? And why do the maps appear to be drawn by Lord Antoni, Elias’s father, who vanished on that same fateful day? With the king’s beautiful cousin by his side—whether he wants her there or not—Elias will race to solve the riddle of the princes. He will have to use his wits and guard his back. Because some truths are better left buried…and an unknown enemy stalks his every turn.

Review: I absolutely adore this book. Makiia Lucier did an excellent job of incorporating strong characters, resistance to discrimination, mystery, romance, and interesting elements of the fantastic all in one novel. The plot had me completely riveted and I spent a lot of time while not reading thinking about the big reveal I knew was coming. Lucier had strong female characters who consistently proved to be as independent and capable as their male counterparts. The quest narrative was something new and fascinating that will certainly have all readers sticking around until the end. And best yet, this was the first book I have ever read about map-making. The incredible world building required no info dump, nor unrealistic exposition, because Lucier’s characters are often seen either drawing or studying maps. The issues discussed, the characters created, and the world formed came together to make a wonderfully mysterious and incredibly fun novel to read.

Teacher’s Tool For Navigation: This book is a great way for students to look at discrimination. Although the races represented in this novel are of a fantastical nature, they are still ripe for discussion. You can ask your students to think about the real-life connections to the way that Mercedes is treated, being of mixed race. There are many books that address this type of racism directly, making it one of the main aspects of the story. Lucier addresses the issue a few times but does not make it a major plot point. It would be really interesting to discuss this as a plot element but not a form of social commentary.

It could also be interesting to look at and start a discussion on the treatment of illness in our society. There is an island in this novel where lepers are quarantined, often against their will. Although we have nothing exactly like this in society, there are certainly loose parallels in the ways that we treat people with diseases and disorders. It would be really beneficial to start a conversation with students about this form of social imprisonment that is rarely discussed.

Discussion Questions:

What parts of this novel reaffirm gender stereotypes, and which break away?
Can you think of any ways that Mercedes’s treatment in the novel is reflected in the real world?
What does this novel say about the way that illness is treated in society?

We Flagged: “It was not the first time someone had spat at Mercedes, or even the fifth, but it had been some years since Elias had witnessed the insult.”

Read This If You Loved: Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Scythe Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Recommended For:

Trent’s Favorite Reads as of his Fifth Birthday

February 14, 2021February 20, 2019 by Kellee

HAPPY FIFTH BIRTHDAY, TRENT!

I cannot believe my boy is five and will be entering elementary school next year. He is everything anyone would want in a kid including kind, respectful, empathetic, and smart. And not to mention, a kid who loves books!

According to Goodreads, where I try to keep as accurate as possible statistics on what Trent reads with us, he read 146 books in this year taking his total to 577 books in his life time!

Today, I am going to share with you his current favorite reads and his reasons why he loves them. He chose these books for me to include and the reasons why are in his own words:

Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey

“They have fliporamas! They show us cool stuff. Petey lets everyone go in their underpants. Dog Man is funny!”

Nibbles books by Emma Yarlett

“I like how Nibbles chomps stuff. I like that he gets away.”

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

“I like how Pooh talks, and he finds a balloon. Eeyore is my favorite. I like how Eeyore talks and sits. Bei Bei (Trent’s stuffed Panda) sits like him, too.”

Beep and Bob by Jonathan Roth

“It is funny. Bob’s tongue gets stuck on Pluto. Pluto is cold and has a lot of ice. It’s the smallest planet and is in our solar system, but his new name is dwarf planet. Beep is an alien.”

Pete the Cat books by James Dean

“Pete makes a robot who is his friend robot Pete. Robot Pete does whatever Pete says to do. And Pete loves bananas though he ate a rotten one, so his mom tries to give him every food that there is.”

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

“I like about Dragons Love Tacos that they eat so much tacos. If there is salsa in the tacos, they will spit fire all over the place. It makes me scared, but I like it because it is cool.”

Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

“The kitten thinks the moon is a bowl of milk. The kitten is sad because he can’t find milk. But the book ends okay when he goes to his house. The kitten is cute.”

Earth! and Sun! by Stacy McAnulty

“I want to be an astronaut when I grow up and study space, so I like these two books because they help me learn about space.”

Tinyville Town books by Brian Biggs

“I like how they build a new bridge and everyone helps. Everyone has a job in Tinyville Town.”

The Lost House by B.B. Cronin

“Grandpa promised to take the grandchildren to the park, but he lost some things, and I like finding things for him.”

Life on Mars by Jon Agee

“He tries to find life on planet Mars. He found a flower, but he didn’t see the big cat person. I want to go to Mars.”

Ella and Owen series by Jaden Kent

“I like how they go in a cave. They are dragons. I want to get the third book to see what it’s about. I think they’re going to find their mom and dad.”

Race Car Count by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

“I like how they honk. I like how they count.”

Penguinaut! by Marcie Colleen

“I like how he misses friends when he is on the moon, and I like how he puts his flag on the moon. And I like how he runs on the moon. I like penguins. And I like astronauts.”

Off & Away by Cale Atkinson

“I like how Jo sees that her dad is sick, so she tries to help him. She thinks the ocean has monsters, but it doesn’t. It has beautiful things and some islands.”

Ryan T. Higgins’s Books

“I like how Bruce goes BRUGH, and Bruce always says bad things to the other animals, but Bruce isn’t bad. I like Be Quiet because I think is funny and I think the other one is funny too because the dinosaur eats her classmates.”

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See by Bill Martin, Jr.

“I like how we slide the things over to see the animals. I like that I can read it by myself.”

Duck, Duck, Porcupine Books by Salina Yoon

“I like how they do different things like how they have a lemonade stand and how they get their things stuck in the tree and use a ladder to get their stuff. Everyone tries to get Little Duck’s kite. But all of their things get stuck in the tree. Even the ladder got stuck in the tree, too. I think they are good stories.”

Pigeon books by Mo Willems

“I like how the Pigeon doesn’t do what he’s supposed to like take a bath. The Pigeon is grumpy which is funny.”

Bob Books!

“I like how I know how to read them!”

Happy birthday and happy reading, Trent!

Past “Trent’s Favorite Books” Posts

Kellee and Trent’s Favorite Picture Books: First Three Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: Three to Six Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: Six to Nine Months

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Books: Nine to Twelve Months

A First Year Full of Books: Trent’s Journey Through Books
**Check this one out if you haven’t–it is one of my favorite posts ever!**

Trent’s Favorite Books: One to Two Years Old

Ten of Trent’s Favorite Books as of His Third Birthday

Ten(ish) of Trent’s Favorite Books as of His Fourth Birthday

Countdown to NCTE/ALAN: Eight Books that Have Made Our Sons Want to Learn to Read

November 8, 2018November 7, 2018 by Ricki

In honor of our favorite conferences—the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Annual Convention followed by the ALAN (Assembly on Literature of Adolescents of NCTE) Workshop, we are doing a countdown over the next two weeks. Each day, we will feature a list that reflects the number of days left until the conference! We can’t wait to see many of you there! If you can’t be there, make sure to follow #ncte18 and #alan18 on Twitter and other social media to participate in this amazing PD from your home.

1. Bob Books: Beginning Readers

Our boys LOVE these books. They feature stories that include predominantly three-letter (and some four-letter) words.

2. Bob Books: First Stories

These books are also a great help for our boys. They also feature short words, but each mini-book is a story.

3. Summer Brain Quest Workbooks

Ricki: I’ll admit I never anticipated using workbooks with my kids. They don’t really align with my philosophy. But my son absolutely loves the map in this book and has so much fun doing it, and that makes me love it.

4. Flip-a-Word Book Series

Ricki: I am, admittedly, highly entertained by this series. They are fun for learning. My son used these when he was first learning to read.

5. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
6. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
7. One Lonely Fish: A Counting Book with Bite! by Andy Mansfield

Kellee: Trent has all three of these books memorized, but now that he is learning to read, he is making connections between the words he has memorized and the words on the pages.

8. Magazines

Trent loves his magazines. He reads them in the car constantly and yells out the words he recognizes and sounds out other words.

and

Teaching Guide and Review!: Water in May by Ismée Amiel Williams

August 24, 2018 by Kellee

Water in May
Author: Ismée Amiel Williams
Published September 12th, 2017 by Abrams Books

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Mari Pujols believes that the baby she’s carrying will finally mean she’ll have a family member who will love her deeply and won’t ever leave her—not like her mama, who took off when she was eight; or her papi, who’s in jail; or her abuela, who wants as little to do with her as possible. But when doctors discover a potentially fatal heart defect in the fetus, Mari faces choices she never could have imagined.

Surrounded by her loyal girl crew, her off-and-on boyfriend, and a dedicated doctor, Mari navigates a decision that could emotionally cripple the bravest of women. But both Mari and the broken-hearted baby inside her are fighters; and it doesn’t take long to discover that this sick baby has the strength to heal an entire family.

Inspired by true events, this gorgeous debut has been called “heartfelt, heartbreaking and—yes!—even a little heart-healing, too” by bestselling YA novelist Carolyn Mackler.

About the Author: Ismée Williams is a pediatric cardiologist who practiced at the Columbia University Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City for fifteen years. She currently sees patients at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx. As the daughter of a Cuban immigrant, partially raised by her abuelos, her background helped her understand the many Maris she met along the way. Water in May is her first novel.

Praise:

“Full of spot-on cultural texture and packing an emotional punch, this is an unusual take on the teen-pregnancy problem novel… Williams presents her experience in a way that demands not pity but respect while also reminding readers of Mari’s heartbreaking youth and innocence at unexpected times…Fierce and tender—and absolutely worth reading.” — Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW

“Mari is a deeply credible character, a girl who’s always spoiling for a fight, usually a physical one, but who’s turning that impulse into fighting for her baby. Williams, formerly a pediatric cardiologist at Columbia, brings vivid authenticity to the medical side of things, including the details of life with a baby in the NICU and the varying personalities of health care personnel.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“This novel is realistic and compelling, heartfelt and heartbreaking all at the same time. The author’s experience as a pediatric cardiologist brings authenticity to her writing as much as does her experience of navigating cultural barriers. Young adult readers will connect with Mari’s feisty personality, strength, and vulnerability.” — VOYA Magazine

Review: Mari’s story is one that isn’t often told. Mari is someone most people would see on the streets and would try to ignore because getting to know her would be getting to know how hard life in America can be. But Mari is also someone who is stronger than many of us will ever be. Her story is one that will make readers think about assumptions OR will help readers see a mirror into struggles they may be having in life. Although I hope teens don’t see Mari’s story as an invitation for a teenage pregnancy, I believe the truth of her hardships show the tremendous change a baby brings to life and will show that Mari’s decisions are made out of desperation when there are other paths she could have taken. Some who read the book have said they don’t like Mari as a character, but I found that when Mari was frustrating, it was because she was acting like what she is: a fifteen-year-old girl trying to find her place in this crazy world.

Teachers Guide with Activities and Discussion Questions written by me:

Guide can also be accessed through Abrams Books’s Resource Page.

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Ismée Williams for finding me and allowing me to complete this guide!**

Read Alouds

Mac Barnett, author of EXTRA YARN, SAM AND DAVID DIG A HOLE, THE TERRIBLE TWO, Shapes Series; THE TERRIBLE TWO, and so many more!

Oliver Jeffers, author of STUCK, LOST AND FOUND, The Boy Series, THE INCREDIBLE BOOK EATING BOY, ONCE UPON AN ALPHABET, HERE WE ARE, and so many more!

Kate Messner, author of the Over and Under Series, Ranger in Time Series, HOW TO READ A STORY, and so many more!

More read alouds available:

There are read aloud opportunities for older kids, too!

Other Amazing Literacy Resources for All Ages

And don’t forget publishers always have amazing educator guides for us to use!

Doodle Alongs

Ben Clanton, Author of the Narwhal and Jelly Book Series, BOO WHO?, and so many more!

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the Lunch Lady Series, HEY KIDDO!, and so many more!

Mo Willems, author of the Elephant & Piggie Series, Pigeon Series, Knuffle Bunny Trilogy, and so many more!

Matt Tavares, author of Red & Lulu, Crossing Niagra, and so many more!

More Art-Focused Activities

STEM-Related Activities

History and Social Studies Related

Physical Education

Music

Multiple Curriculum Lessons

Other Fantastic Learning Explorations