Title: The Land of the Cranes Author: Aida Salazar Publisher: Scholastic Press Release Date: September 15, 2020 RATING: 5 Stars Betita’s father has told her the story many times before. Their people came from Aztlán,

Title: Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown Author: Ann E. Burg Publisher: Scholastic Press Release Date: October 6, 2020 RATING: 5 Stars It is 1889, and the residents of Johnstown, Pennsylvania are preparing to honor those that

Title: The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars Author: Shivaun Plozza Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Release Date: November 17, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars In the land of Ulv, a long-ago myth claims

November 2020 LIT Lessons Newsletter

Title: Stick With Me Author: Jennifer Blecher Publisher: Greenwillow Books Release Date: November 3, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars Izzy is the most talented artist in the 6th grade. Art is her escape, a way

Title: Serena Says Author: Tanita S. Davis Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release Date: November 3, 2020 RATING: 3.5 Stars Serena St. John cannot wait to visit her best friend JC in the hospital, especially

Title: A Thousand Questions Author: Saadia Faruqi Publisher: Quill Tree Books Release Date: October 6, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars Instead of spending summer break in Houston, Texas, Maryam, or Mimi, and her mother travel halfway

How to Use This Year-long Planning Tool When planning novel studies for the year, it is best practice to create a draft of your curriculum to ensure you achieve your goals,

Title: The Secret Life of Sam Author: Kim Ventrella Publisher: HarperCollins Release Date: September 29, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars After Sam’s pa dies in a tragic car accident, Sam must leave his beloved life in

5 Ways to Get the Books You Need Without Breaking the Bank The thing about teaching novels is that it is an investment. It is an investment of your time in

Title: Furia Author: Yamile Saied Méndez Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers Release Date: September 15, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars Camila Hassan lives in two different worlds in Rosario, Argentina. At home, she endures the crushing

October 2020 LIT Lessons Newsletter

Title: Lupe Wong Won’t Dance Author: Donna Barba Higuera Publisher: Levine Querido Release Date: September 8, 2020 RATING: 3.5 Stars Lupe Wong wants nothing more than to meet her idol, Mariners pitcher Fu Li Hernandez.

  Title: Grown Author: Tiffany D. Jackson Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release Date: September 15, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars Content Warning: The novel contains explicit content, including sexual abuse, rape, drug use and addiction, assault, child

Curriculum Should Not Be Set in Stone Change can be hard. Whether you have been in the classroom for years and are accustomed to your routine or are early in your

3 Easy Ways to Pair Books to Create Conversation In the article “Selecting Novels for the Classroom: 5 More Questions…” I mentioned how novel-pairing potential should be an important factor when

  Title: Come On In: 15 Stories about Immigration and Finding Home Author: Adi Alsaid (Editor) Publisher: Inkyard Press Release Date: October 13, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars Come On In is a powerful collection of immigration

  Title: The Circus of Stolen Dreams Author: Lorelei Savaryn Publisher: Philomel Books Release Date: September 1, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars For three years, Andrea has silently mourned her brother’s disappearance in solitude. Her sadness and

A Call for Inclusive Literature in the Classroom You have power as a teacher. The novel selections you make will determine the perspectives students are exposed to. Perhaps more important, it

  Title: Punching the Air Author: Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam Publisher: Balzer + Bray Release Date: September 1, 2020 RATING: 5 Stars Amal has a bright future. He is a talented artist and poet. Unfortunately,

Factors to Consider When Creating a Year-Long Plan with Novels After selecting a novel and answering the 5 questions posed in [this article] and 5 more questions in [this article], you’ve

September 2020 LIT Lessons Newsletter

  Title: We Are Not Free Author: Traci Chee Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Release Date: September 1, 2020 RATING: 4.5 Stars After the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II (WWII), the United

  Title: Scritch Scratch Author: Lindsay Currie Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers Release Date: September 1, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars When Claire’s parents ask her to assist her father on one of his ghost tours of Chicago,

Title: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Author: Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Release Date: March 10, 2020 RATING: 5 Stars Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You traces the

In the previous article, there are 5 important questions to ask when selecting novels to teach in the classroom. Before you make any final book selections, ask yourself 5 more

  Title: The Boys in the Back Row Author: Mike Jung Publisher: Levine Querido Release Date: October 6, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars Eric and Matt are the best of friends. They love comic books, playing in

  Title: The Canyon’s Edge Author: Dusti Bowling Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Release Date: September 8, 2020 RATING: 5 Stars It’s Eleanor’s birthday. After losing her mother in a random shooting on her

The following questions can serve as a guide when selecting novels to read in the classroom. The explanations focus on a middle grade context but the principles easily apply to

  Title: From the Desk of Zoe Washington Author: Janae Marks Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books Release Date: January 14, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars During the summer after sixth grade, Zoe Washington focused on baking, hoping to

Goals and Takeaways for the Series I lived day-to-day during first year of teaching ELA in 7th and 8th grades. You know that feeling too. Some days I was unsure if

  Title: Echo Mountain Author: Lauren Wolk Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers Release Date: April 21, 2020 RATING: 4.5 Stars As the Great Depression devastates the country, Ellie and her family have had to

  Title: Fighting Words Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Publisher: Dial Books Release Date: August 11, 2020 RATING: 5 Stars Della and Suki are sisters bound by love, the desire to protect one another, and – unfortunately

August 2020 LIT Lessons Newsletter

  Title: The Peacemaker Author: Joseph Bruchac Publisher: Dial Books Release Date: October 27, 2020 RATING: 4 Stars The five tribes of the Iroquois have been embroiled in an endless cycle of raiding, war, and death.

   Title: Before the Ever After Author: Jacqueline Woodson Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books Release Date: September 1, 2020 RATING: 5 Stars ZJ’s father, a professional football player, is loved by all – fans, friends, and especially

   Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games Novel) Author: Suzanne Collins Publisher: Scholastic Press Release Date: May 19, 2020 RATING: 3 Stars Suzanne Collins treats fans of the Hunger Games series with

   Title: The One and Only Bob Author: Katherine Applegate Publisher: HarperCollins Release Date: May 5, 2020 Rating: 4 STARS Bob is back. After living for several years at the Big Top Mall, George and Julia

   Title: Paola Santiago and the River of Tears Author: Tehlor Kay Mejia Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents Release Date: August 4, 2020 RATING: 3 Stars School is out, and Paola Santiago, an analytic and science-loving mind,

   The distance learning background project engages students in a creative and fun project to help them create a specific place at home to focus on their work and a backdrop

   Title: Quintessence Author: Jess Redman Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) Release Date: July 28, 2020 Thank you to Netgalley and publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), for an eARC of this book! RATING: 3.5 STARS Alma suffers

   Title: War Stories Author: Gordon Korman Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. Release Date: July 21, 2020 RATING: 4.5 Stars Trevor’s passion for World War II borders obsession, especially since his beloved great-grandfather, G.G., is a war hero.

   Title: The Dream WeaverAuthor: Reina Luz AlegrePublisher: Simon & Schuster Children'sRelease Date: June 23, 2020 RATING: 3.5 Stars After moving from place to place, year after year, Zoey finally has a

   Title: Everything Sad Is Untrue: (a true story)Author: Daniel NayeriPublisher: Levine QueridoRelease Date: August 25, 2020 RATING: 5 STARS! Everything Sad Is Untrue is author Daniel Nayeri’s (true) story. In recounting his

   Title: My Life as a PotatoAuthor: Arianne CostnerPublisher: Random House Books for Young ReadersRelease Date: March 24, 2020 Rating: 3 Stars Ben Hardy is the new kid. His recent move from California

   Title: On the HorizonAuthor: Lois LowryPublisher: HMH Books for Young ReadersRelease Date: April 7, 2020 Rating: 4 Stars On the Horizon takes readers from the shores of Pearl Harbor to the city

   Title: Prairie LotusAuthor: Linda Sue ParkPublisher: Clarion BooksRelease Date: March 3, 2020 RATING: 5 STARS The history books describe the intense hostility Chinese immigrants faced in the 1880s. In addition to overt

   Title: MañanalandAuthor: Pam Muñoz RyanPublisher: Scholastic PressRelease Date: March 3, 2020 RATING: 4 STARS Maximiliano Córdoba and his family live in the small village of Santa Maria somewhere in the Américas. Twelve-year-old

   Title: Kent StateAuthor: Deborah WilesPublisher: Scholastic Inc.Release Date: April 21, 2020 RATING: 4 STARS Kent State retells the story of the events surrounding the infamous clash between student demonstrators protesting the Vietnam War and

   Title: When You Trap a TigerAuthor: Tae KellerPublisher: Random House Books for Young ReadersRelease Date: January 28, 2020 RATING: 3.5 STARS Lily’s grandmother, her halmoni, is gravely ill. When Lily’s mother moves

   Title: Black Brother, Black BrotherAuthor: Jewell Parker RhodesPublisher: Little, Brown Books for Young ReadersRelease Date: March 3, 2020 RATING: 5 STARS Donte Ellison and his brother Trey attend Middlefield Prep, a private

   Title: NotoriousAuthor: Gordon KormanPublisher: Balzer + BrayRelease Date: January 7, 2020 RATING: 3.5 STARS Keenan is used to a fast-paced, independent life as he travels the world with his mom, an international schoolteacher.

   Title: Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orïsha #2)Author: Tomi AdeyemiPublisher: Henry Holt and Co.Release Date: December 3, 2019 RATING: 3.5 STARS Zélie, Amari, and Inan are back in the

   Title: JackpotAuthor: Nic StonePublisher: Crown Books for Young ReadersRelease Date: October 15, 2019 RATING: 3.5 STARS Rico, her mom, and her little brother struggle to stay afloat. Despite the difficulties, Rico’s mom

   Title: Words on FireAuthor: Jennifer NielsenPublisher: Scholastic PressRelease Date: October 1, 2019 RATING: 3 STARS It is 1893 in Lithuania, a time when the Russian Empire controls the country. It is

   Title: Efrén DividedAuthor: Ernesto CisnerosPublisher: HarperCollinsRelease Date: March 2020 RATING: 5 STARS Efrén, a young Mexican-American, loves his family, especially his Amá. He appreciates all the small miracles she performs each and every

   Title: Count Me InAuthor: Varsha BajajPublisher: Penguin/Nancy Paulsen BooksRelease Date: August 27, 2019 RATING: 4 STARS Karina and Chris may be next door neighbors but they also might as well live on

   Title: Ghost BoysAuthor: Jewell Parker RhodesPublisher: Little, Brown Books for Young ReadersRelease Date: April 17, 2018 RATING: 4 STARS Jerome Rogers is a good kid. He loves his family, enjoys school, and

   Title: Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten BlocksAuthor: Jason ReynoldsPublisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy BooksRelease Date: October 8, 2019 RATING: 4 STARS Look Both Ways recounts the myriad stories of a cast

   Title: Pixie Pushes OnAuthor: Tamara BundyPublisher: Penguin Random House/Nancy Paulsen BooksRelease Date: January 14, 2020Many thanks to Penguin Random House/Nancy Paulsen Books and Edelweiss+ for providing me an opportunity to

   Title: Shouting at the RainAuthor: Linda Mullaly HuntPublisher: Nancy Paulsen BooksRelease Date: May 7, 2019 RATING: 3 STARS Summer has come to Cape Cod and Delsie is looking forward to another sun-soaked,

   Title: Song for a WhaleAuthor: Lynne KellyPublisher: Delacorte PressRelease Date: February 5, 2019 RATING: 4 STARS Iris is tech-savvy and curious, deaf and lonely. While she loves to fix radios, she struggles to

   Title: Front DeskAuthor: Kelly YangPublisher: Arthur A. Levine BooksRelease Date: May 29, 2018 RATING: 4 STARS After immigrating to the United States from China in the 1990’s, Mia Tang and her parents are

   Title: The Story That Cannot Be ToldAuthor: J. Kasper KramerPublisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing - Atheneum Books for Young ReadersRelease Date: October 8, 2019Many thanks to Atheneum Books for

What if your lesson plans were a complete blank slate? What if you did not worry about your administrator asking to see standards alignment or when you could cover this,

Nature is an incredible teacher. It has impeccable wait time, provides an endless array of challenges, and above all, offers an engaging classroom. Yet, too often, we look past nature’s

Teaching students to write is hard. It’s abstract, it’s personal, and good writing can look like a million different things. Still, it’s critical we teach writing, especially in a world

In nine years, I spent over 1,600 days with students in the classroom. On those days and many others (because we know what “vacation” means), I spent countless evening, weekend,

As another school year closes, I thought I’d share a few reflections. I find it’s important to write them when the year is still fresh on my mind then return

I’ve spent some time championing for pop-up projects in the classroom, referencing our “Odyssey Pop-Up Project” several times. Here are a few images of the final project. After students finished

When we assigned the pop-up project for The Odyssey, it was an experience of trial and error. Here are the 10 things I learned from that experience – both what

It’s the day before Thanksgiving break, and I’m racing from a kindergarten classroom to a first-grade classroom while calling a second-grade teacher along the way. As I’m about to visit

  Any Google search about classroom discussion strategies will yield a wealth of resources. However, the core principles of facilitating a discussion are often overlooked: asking a really good question and

Life: When I was a kid, I had dreams of becoming the first female, MLB baseball player, an astronaut, or even a novelist. As I grew older, with the future