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Timing Is Everything | Consider the Source
Marc Aronson with Susan Bartle Timing Is Everything Anyone who has followed this column, or has heard me speak, knows that I’m in the cheering section for the Common Core English Language Arts State...
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Water: Earth’s Most Precious Resource
All living things need water. However, 97 percent of Earth’s supply consists of the salt water in our oceans, 2 percent is frozen in ice caps and glaciers, and only 1 percent is reachable and suitable...
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Beboppin’ with “Bird & Diz”
With bursts of rhythm and flashes of color, Gary Golio and Ed Young’s stunning new picture book Bird & Diz (Candlewick, March 2015; Gr 3 Up) captures the spirit and genius of bebop artists Charlie...
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Farm to Table: The Food We Eat, the World We Live In
How does food get to your plate? These well-written and handsomely illustrated stories and factual texts answer that question while emphasizing the importance of sustainable cultivation practices; the...
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Talkin’ Trash | Spotlight on the Environment
In schools across the country, we remind children and teens to “reduce, reuse, recycle,” but how these acts impact a community isn’t always visible. The consequences of avoiding that responsibility...
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Whale Watching|Those Magnificent—and Vulnerable—Leviathans
Stunningly illustrated and eloquently written, the picture books featured here trawl the ocean depths to shed light on these magnificent and mysterious marine mammals. Included are informational texts...
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A Voting Rights Bookshelf
On the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Americans can look back and observe the march of history. They can reflect on the courageous acts of individuals who chose to desegregate schools, to...
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Exploring America’s Past: Historical Fiction for Middle Grade Readers
Set in different eras, these three novels integrate historical fact with descriptive writing to present strongly delineated settings, re-create the ambience of specific periods, and recount past...
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Ordinary Kids, Extraordinary Circumstances: World War II Fiction for Middle...
Set against a backdrop of dramatic world events, these engrossing and vividly written novels provide glimpses at history from the relatable perspectives of their young narrators. Rich in details of...
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Marilyn Nelson’s “My Seneca Village”| A Lesson Plan and Discussion Guide
In a series of stunning poems, Newbery and Coretta Scott King awards honoree Marilyn Nelson, introduces readers to My Seneca Village (namelos, 2015; Gr 5 Up), a 19th-century community that thrived on...
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Can Five-Year-Olds Really Meet Common Core State Standards?
The debate over academic expectations in kindergarten has been around for decades. But now, in 42 states, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have added a new intensity to the conversation over...
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Inside and Outside the Human Body: A Closer Look
From graphic novel to descriptive account to Q & A format, these books successfully employ a variety of narrative approaches and illustrative styles to impart basic information about human biology....
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The Shadow Knows | Fact and Fiction About the Groundhog’s Claim To Fame
He goes by the name of Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, PA; Chuck in Marion, OH, Staten Island, NY, and Los Angeles; Pierre C. Shadeaux in New Iberia, LA, and Wiarton Willie in Ontario, Canada. He’s...
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Is the Common Core Just a Scam to Sell Books? | Consider the Source
“What, are you crazy? It’s all about the money.” According to a video secretly recorded by a group called Project Veritas, these are the exact words of a (since-fired) executive at a major publishing...
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Otters, Emus, and Sharks, Oh My! | Informational Picture Books To Share
Celebrate Earth Day with a look at some of the planet’s most fascinating and diverse inhabitants. Packed with attention-grabbing kid appeal, these excellent offerings pair lively texts with dynamic...
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Grab Them with Graphic Novels
Featuring concise narratives, vivacious artwork, and page-turning comic book formats, these new graphic novels make compelling choices for encouraging and empowering young readers. In each of these...
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Into the Future With Shana Corey’s “The Secret Subway”| A Lesson Plan
Shana Corey’s The Secret Subway (Schwartz & Wade/Random, 2016) tells the story of Alfred Ely Beach’s (1826-1896) dogged determination to bring New York City “into the future” in the late 1800s. Not...
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