About carriegelson

Elementary teacher passionate about all things literacy.

Sunday Reflections: Ten things I will do again this school year

Posted on July 26, 2015 by carriegelson

I don’t own boxes of themed units. I barely have any files. I don’t like to repeat things. New students. New year. New place in my learning. New world. All of this new always leads to different things every year. But some things are worth repeating because they will benefit a new group of students as much, albeit differently, as a previous group.

What ten things will I be doing again/continuing this year?

Buddy Reading with the kindergarten class

This is time that is pure joy. My students get to be literacy leaders. I smile through the entire experience each week.

Games Hour

Every week we have Games Hour (really about 40 minutes) and bring out games that we don’t play with at any other time of the week. We work on perseverance, turn taking, leadership skills, cooperation and patience.

Hosting another class from a different school

What great learning happened when we invited a K class from another school to spend almost an entire day with us. We did yoga, art, outside play and buddy reading. Thank you Ms. Hales! I hope she will visit with her new class this year!

Daily play and exploration

Keva blocks frequently come out during this time. As do various other building materials, art supplies and multiple games. We do a lot of building and exploring, tower making and imaginative play.

Mock Caldecott

This was such an amazing unit and I can’t wait to do it again this year. We read. We wrote. We raved. We talked. A LOT!

Camp Read

This was a school wide event and I would love to be a part of the organizing committee again. A highlight of our day was having our school secretary come in and read to us.

Time in the forest

Lucky us that St George’s Outdoor Education students invited us to come and spend the morning with them in the forest near UBC a few times this year. Outside experiences are so important. I am planning for many more next year.

Yoga: Inside the room

Our lovely Miriam leads us through regular yoga experiences.

and yoga outside of the room

Our favourite thing is to get outside to do yoga!

Let’s Talk Science activities

We have the best Let’s Talk Science volunteers. We are sure hoping that Lisa and Nelly will return and do hands on science with us again next year!

Inviting in guests to share their passions

BLG readers who share stories. Ms. Sheppet who shared a geocaching experience. Eric Balke who talked to us about his time in with orangutans in Indonesia. Poet and artist Calef Brown who shared his writing process with us. I so want my students to be passionate about what they do and meeting adults who are passionate about their interests, hobbies and careers is amazing!

What will remain part of the learning experiences in your room for 2015/2016?

Celebration: Talking classroom libraries

Posted on July 24, 2015 by carriegelson

This week I spent some time in my classroom cleaning up and clearing out. I do this every summer. When the organizing is complete, I get to do what I love best: revamp and revitalize my classroom library. This is a job that is thankfully, never done. I always have books to add, books to weed, and new ideas about how to organize. Every summer, I save this part of my “summer work” for last. It’s like delicious dessert. Sweet, satisfying and something to savour.

Always, the reason my library needs to keep changing is so that it keeps meeting the needs of the readers who use it.

I think about bins, displays, organization, labels, access, etc. I think about the interests, skills and needs of the readers. All this is quite solitary work which is fine. But, it is always so rewarding when we can share our reasoning and talk with other teachers about why we do what we do. I find I learn as much when I share as when I get to be the one asking questions of someone else about something in their practice.

This week I had a friend visit my room for a few hours. She is returning to the regular classroom after years of doing work with gifted students at the district level. We talked about various things. But a large focus of our discussion was about Reading Workshop and classroom libraries.

Later that evening, I was still energized from our discussion. I was looking through some old notes in a notebook I keep and I came across a list that I had made a few years ago. I wrote it after I had hosted a literacy study group in my room. The group leader wanted to have me talk about my classroom library and so she held their regular biweekly meeting in my classroom. This was quite a quiet group and they mostly asked questions about where I purchased various bins. An important question, yes, but a classroom library is about much more than the bins the books are housed in! I had titled the list: Questions I wished I had been asked. Of course, as I talked to the group I did address some of these things but I had been curious why I hadn’t been asked to explain in more detail.

My list:

Where do you find your books? How do you keep current with what you might purchase?
Why are some books in the regular collection and some are kept in a teaching collection?
How do you decide how to organize the books? How do you teach this system to the kids?
How do you introduce books?
How do you ensure that students are reading widely?
How many of these books have you read? Where do you find the time?

When I read this list over, I realized that my friend had asked me each of the things on this list as well as many more questions. The reason for my excitement? Engagement – hers and mine.

This is what I celebrate this week – the ability to share and discuss something I am always changing and always passionate about – my classroom library.

In the next few weeks, I will have the chance to begin making my annual library changes. I hope to blog a little more about what I am doing and that others will join in the discussion with me.

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks.

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Water connects us all

Posted on July 21, 2015 by carriegelson

I have been exploring the new B.C. curriculum drafts for Social Studies and thinking about what directions we might take in my Grade 2/3 class next year.

A few of the big ideas:

Local actions have global consequences, and global actions have local consequences.
Communities are interconnected with their natural environment

Some content items:

diverse features of the environment in other parts of Canada and the world
responsibilities of global citizenship
relationships between people and environment in different communities

All of these things (above) started me thinking about . . . water.

Access to water. Shortages of water. Water scarcity. Water as a human right.

I think there is so much to learn here. So many questions. Such a relevant and necessary topic. And of course, I immediately started making a book list. Here are titles I may share in my room this year. Other suggestions? Please share them in the comment section.

Through these books, I hope we can both learn about and celebrate all that is water.

Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Jason Chin

All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and illustrated by Katherine Tillotson

Every Last Drop: Bringing Clean Water Home by Michelle Mulder

A Cool Drink of Water by Barbara Kerley

One Well: The Story of Water on Earth written by Rochelle Strauss and illustrated by Rosemary Woods

Poetry (with a water theme):

Water Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas with illustrations by Violeta Dabija

Songs of the Water Boatman written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beckie Prange (pond life)

Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems by Kate Coombs illustrated by Meilo So

Relevant biographies:

Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A Nivola

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau written by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Éric Puybaret

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jaques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino

Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2015. Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction books you need to read!

Top Ten Books that Celebrate Diversity

Posted on July 20, 2015 by carriegelson

It’s time for Top Ten Tuesday, a meme created by The Broke and Bookish.

This week’s topic? Top Ten Books that Celebrate Diversity

I was thrilled to see this topic this week and decided to celebrate a range of books – right from picture books to young adult novels. As readers we need to see both ourselves and others in the books we read. Reading beyond ourselves? It opens up our world, deepens our understanding, makes us think differently. Reading about ourselves? It confirms. It soothes. It makes us feel connected. As a reader I want both of these experiences. As a teacher and a parent, I want these experiences for the children in my life.

The definition of diverse books on the We Need Diverse Books site is one that I always refer to:

We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.

From the Mission Statement on the We Need Diverse Books site.

Ten of my favourites:

Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales

A book to savour. To read slowly. It inspires questions about the life of Frida Kahlo – her art, her culture, her passions. I had the pleasure of hearing author Yuyi Morales read this title aloud. Just beautiful.

Shin-Chi’s Canoe written by Nicola Campbell and illustrated by Kim LaFave

An emotional story of two Aboriginal children (siblings) who are sent to residential school. Accessible for younger readers. The emotional pain endured by the families and children impacted by residential schools is powerful in this book. Beautifully illustrated.

No 1 Car Spotter by Atinuke

Much to love in this title: the unique characters, the entertaining dynamics and the beautiful setting of Africa. So very, very good.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

All kinds of honest and vulnerable and powerful and hilarious. I am in awe of how this story is told, how friendship issues are explored and highlighted, how the power and powerlessness of a “disability” was portrayed through a child’s perspective.

Listen, Slowly by Thanhhà Lai

A powerful story about the pull of home, the strength of family, the importance of culture and the complexities of personal and family histories.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Verse novels hold so much power to literally wrap us up in evocative images and in this case, personal history. In some senses, it feels like spying to be so close. A beautifully written memoir of a time and a place – oh so personal but yet, with connections and links to many more than young Jacqueline Woodson. A gift to readers.

Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan

A story that is fictional but not at all. Because Habo’s story could be, might be and in fact, is, playing itself out STILL in Tanzania for other albino citizens. This book speaks to everything both beautiful and horrific about humanity. A human rights crisis. One that needs attention. One that needs to stop. “Be that one person,” – the words Sullivan leaves us with in her author’s note. Read this book and remind yourself to be more human than less. A story that will never leave the reader. And never should.

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

I find myself strangely without words on this title about two young women – special education students now living on their own for the first time. The pages are seeped in vulnerability for so many reasons. There are some hard and heartbreaking pages. It’s a quick read that follows you around for days. I can see why the Schneider committee selected this book. A YA read.

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds

What characters. What quietly bold and beautifully human characters. Jason Reynolds, these characters you write . . .

How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon

A shooting of a young teenage boy. Is it racially motivated? Who is at fault? What is the truth? All important questions. More important though -the grieving and the moving on of a community and family impacted by the loss of one of their own. Powerful.

What titles would you add to this list?

Monday July 20th, 2015

Posted on July 19, 2015 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

I have been sharing a reading photo of the week each week. Now that it is summer, I am not surrounded every day with little readers so . . . I am choosing moments from the year not previously shared. “We love reading together,” these reading buddies announced with an ultimate squishy face hug and a huge book stack. How we love when the Kindergarten buddies come to read with us.

From the classroom 2014/2015 archives:

Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. Follow the links to read about all of the amazing books the #IMWAYR community has read. It’s the best way to discover what to read next.

On the blog this week:

Top Ten Tuesday: The Last Ten Books that Came into my Possession

For Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: A Year of Nonfiction Picture Books Revisited

A little bit of picture book dreaming: Picture Book Wishlist: July 2015

Celebration: Blogging Escapades

Sunday Morning Perspective: Reflections on the power of classroom community

Lots of reading happened too. Sharing my favourite titles here:

Picture books:

Mo and Beau by Vanya Nastanlieva

Adorable. Simple repetitive language leaves lots of room for observation. Perfect for little ones.

No More Kisses for Bernard! by Niki Daly

A great title to explore talking about personal boundaries. Bernard has four aunties that are much too kissy. How is his “No more kisses!” request respected? Quite creatively.

Nonfiction picture books:

Sweep up the Sun by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder

Beautiful pairing of incredible close up photos and perfectly matched poetry.

Whale Trails, Before and Now written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Documents the history of the whaling industry and contrasts it to current whale watching practices.

I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton

Lots of humour. Spider facts. Some arachnid squashing. All in a genuine quest for spider love.

Transitional chapter books:

The Adventures of Sophie Mouse: A New Friend written by Poppy Green and illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell

Sweet early chapter title. Themes of friendship and community.

The Princess in Black is written by Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Princess Magnolia leads a double life! She ditches her frilly pink dresses to don her Princess in Black disguise and act as a kind of super hero in the kingdom. What fun!

Novels:

The Great Good Summer by Liz Garton Scanlon

Many things I appreciated about this middle grade novel. It is so wonderfully character driven but still many things happen. Strong friendships. Family loyalty. Persistence. Courage. Forgiveness. Just plain lovely.

Updates on my 2015 Reading Goals:

2015 Chapter Book Challenge: 38/80 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 255/415 books read

#MustReadin2015: 15/24 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 52/100 titles

Diverse Books in 2015: 26/50 books read

Up next? I am reading the very clever Phoebe and her Unicorn by Dana Simpson and Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

Happy Reading everyone!

Sunday Morning Perspective

Posted on July 19, 2015 by carriegelson

It’s a Sunday in the middle of summer. I have hung out laundry on the line. Stood with my coffee on the back deck and watched hawks swoop and swerve into our huge pine tree. Thought about when to wake my children who stayed up to the wee hours reading many chaptered novels. The day promises to be easy. Relaxed. Low stress.

I think of school days ahead this fall. The mornings are not so slow and calm. There is rushing. Wake up time is not negotiable. And while the birds may be out there doing their thing, it is the people in the house swooping and swerving as we get ready for the day. No matter how much we try, we can never replicate summer ease and insert it into the hectic pace of everyday school schedules.

But we can carry forward perspective. We can look back on what we know we know on these calm mornings, take a breath in the middle of the busy and know it then. When we need it most.

So while I know that I will be worried about curriculum and schedules and conflicts not even imagined come fall, I also know that I need to remember what I know to be most true.

Our classroom is its own community. What we build is ours. The learning environment is a safe haven and that is powerful and necessary for many children.

What we learn is absolutely important. The skills we will build are vital. The learning how to be learners is key. But the biggest thing that is all pervasive and impacts us most of all? That we are learning together. We are community.

When I think back over my year last year, what stands out? What were the moments when I felt the room quietly vibrate with power.

It was the silent sound of waiting for a child to share during gratitude circle. Twenty two children being present and quiet and ready to listen to a classmate.

It was the conversations that happened without any words. When a child would look up and I could see in their eyes that something someone else said resonated. That wonderful “learning between” children that can happen when community exists.

It was when I would be reading a story after lunch at the carpet. One child would be quietly crying shedding the upset of social dramas gone wrong during play time. Nobody was tattling or complaining or staring. But little hands were patting backs. Everybody was breathing deep.

It was when one child would gush with pride over what somebody else achieved.

It was coming across my most quiet child teaching a group of friends how to play a new board game. All eyes on her and a confident voice speaking out.

It was the moments of forgiveness.

It was the admitting of mistakes.

It was the apology whispers.

It was the fall right over contagious giggles.

I will plan and rethink and organize this summer. But I know that the most important thing I will do come September will be to welcome a new group of children and work, with them, to build our community.

Celebration: Blogging escapades

Posted on July 17, 2015 by carriegelson

Looking back I see that last year about this time. I celebrated Book blogging. At that time, I had no idea when I would be returning to the classroom (prolonged teacher strike) and I celebrated the community that encouraged me to share – through various memes and twitter support – my deep love for reading and literacy.

A year later, I am celebrating the same thing differently. I am happily back to work. I know what I will be doing come September. And . . . my blog is still where I can share my love of all things literacy. This summer I have leaped large into the land of book lists and book celebration. What a pleasure it has been to share my thinking about various topics, all literacy related, here on this blog. I love that a little inkling of an idea has materialized into a post and been appreciated by others.

I have made a lot of lists and done some reflecting. A few highlights:

Picture Book Dreaming: July 2015 Ten fiction titles I hope to add to my classroom collection

A Year of Nonfiction Picture Books revisited: highlights of my 2014/2015 year sharing nonfiction titles

In the world of books: 25 boys who stand out

In the world of books: 25 girls who stand out

Now, I also celebrate upcoming plans. Of course, this is all about my own list making and expectations. Nowhere is there an obligation or a responsibility.

But blogging my plans and my thinking allows me to consider more carefully, to think a little deeper, to be slightly more responsible. This benefits me – my teaching, my thinking, my classroom. I also hope, at times, that it will benefit others – – > that my planning and organizing might also fit somehow with something someone else out there might be doing.

Upcoming blog posts on the agenda:

* Next year I am going to be teaching a younger group – likely a Grade 2/3 (mostly 2s) – with this comes the opportunity to delve into new curriculum drafts for this age group. I spent some time looking at the B.C. curriculum draft for science. One piece of content includes: metamorphic and non-metamorphic life cycles of different organisms. I plan to put some book lists together on this theme and share them for Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday. Another list might be all of the titles that explore life cycles and young animals like My First Day by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. I always am very excited to put together nonfiction lists!

*Next year my class is going to be brand new. After teaching many children for two and three years, this will be a big change. My biggest goal? Creating a new community of readers – winning them over to the land of Book Love one title at a time. How am I going to do this? My answer will likely be explored in a series of posts. I am thinking a lot about this. 🙂 Of course, amazing titles like this one will be employed to work their magic:

* Adjusting my classroom library for a younger group of readers will take some time and thought. It might transfer into some blog posts about the nitty gritty of organization and the broader thinking of what makes it all flow.

Thank you to Ruth Ayres and the #celebratelu community! Being part of a community that regularly shares gratitude and celebrations truly transforms my weeks.

Picture Book Wishlist: July 2015

Posted on July 17, 2015 by carriegelson

Summer time is a lovely time for picture book dreaming. Don’t you think?

Last year at this time, book shopping was not a possibility for me due to a very lengthy teacher’s strike here in B.C. I am now happily back into my book purchasing groove but even us book lovers must prioritize. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to unlimited book buying funds.

Yet, these titles are calling to me! So I thought I would celebrate them in a list. Hopefully, these books will be able to make it into my classroom collection because I can’t wait to share them with students.

Shared by publication date:

Float by Daniel Miyares (June 2015)

Wordless and wonderful. Themes of discovery, persistence, problem solving and creative thinking. And simply beautiful. I would love to add this title to my wordless book collection.

The Night World by Mordicai Gerstein (June 2015)

This is truly brilliant. A dark, usually known world, is busy and alive when it is explored at night. Slowly, morning happens. And wow, does it happen beautifully. All about the magic of light.

To the Sea by Cale Atkinson (June 2015)

Teachers are always looking for amazing books that explore all there is to explore about friendship. Everywhere I turn there is book love for this title. I can’t wait to find it.

First Grade Dropout written by Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Matthew Cordell (July 2015)

I have read some wonderful reviews of this title (here and here) that have convinced me that this book needs to be in my collection. Intense emotions, Humiliation. Moving forward. Compassion and community. All of these are themes to explore in a primary classroom.

Ask Me written by Bernard Waber and illustrated by Suzy Lee (July 2015)

I read this beautiful review of this title on the blog What to Read to your Kids and I knew I had to own it. I too am a fan of Waber and Lee but I am completely smitten with stories that portray little moments of family relationship.

The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes (August 2015)

When I first read Emily Hughes‘ Wild (a library copy) aloud to my class, I admitted that I really loved the book and wished I had a copy for our classroom. One child remarked: “You really should buy it. Otherwise, you might go a little crazy.” Wise words 🙂 Wild is now a beloved book that I own. The pages I have peeked at on various blogs make it very obvious that I must also bring The Little Gardener into my collection.

The Tea Party in the Woods by Akiko Miyakoshi (August 2015)

I love fairytales and stories with nuances of fairytale elements. But . . . I am very particular. I find that I either love these titles or I find them barely mediocre. My students are always asking me to purchase more fairy tale stories for our collection and I want to find them the best. From the reviews I have read, this will be a title I will happily add to our growing collection.

Leo a Ghost Story written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Christian Robinson (August 2015)

I love the whole idea of this book. We don’t often meet ghosts in picture books. But many children believe they are out there. I love books that celebrate imagination and big believing. And also – Mac Barnett! Christian Robinson! No need to say more.

Lenny & Lucy written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead (October 2015)

I think Erin Stead is one of the most talented illustrators out there. Off the charts, can’t quite believe it, oh my, oh my, talented. When the brilliant Stead duo do their thing, I need to own the book. It’s that simple.

Beyond the Pond by Joseph Kuefler (October 2015)

I am hearing lovely book buzz about this title. Reviews contain words like imagination, curiosity, magic . . . Sounds delightful!

What picture books are you dreaming of?

A Year of Nonfiction Picture Books Revisited

Posted on July 15, 2015 by carriegelson

I read a lot of nonfiction aloud to my class. I never get to as many titles as I intend to – the “must share” stack is always growing. It’s not necessarily due to lack of time. I make lots of time for nonfiction reading. It’s that I believe nonfiction read alouds need to be rich reading experiences. And so, they require time. Time for questions. Time for discussion. Time to think and absorb and ponder. We “stretch out” our read alouds over days and days – reading, writing, talking, drawing. I celebrate the time we take with each book because I know the learning is rich.

I thought I would make this post for Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday be all about the celebration of and learning from our nonfiction reading this year.

Here are (most of) the titles we read together in this “stretched out” style. We also read many other nonfiction titles – some in their entirety, some just a few pages here or there.

I chose some particularly important learning to highlight here.

A Boy and A Jaguar written by Alan Rabinowitz and illustrated by Cátia Chien

In this title we learned that a love for animals can be deep and a promise to protect them can be deeper. Alan Rabinowitz is a huge inspiration for my students. They felt his anxiety growing up stuttering and were inspired by his commitment to his work.

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Ivan’s story prompted discussions of animals in captivity, of human cruelty, of just “why?” Lots of conversations. Thanks To Katherine Applegate and all of those who have loved Ivan, we love Ivan too.

Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey written by Loree Griffin Burns with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

This title allowed students to explore a question they had never before considered – just how do butterflies get to museums and science centres all over the world? But it did more than that. It gave students a close up view at the miraculous life cycle of a butterfly and allowed them to see the beauty in every stage.

The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins and illustrated by Jill McElmurry

This book gave my students hope. It energized them. It reminded them about the power of an individual to impact a community. When we closed the book, students made comments like this one: “I like Kate so much. It happened a long time ago but her soul probably still speaks for trees. She was one person who did so much.”

Galapágos George written by Jean Craighead George and illustrated by Wendell Minor

This title let us talk about extinction. It allowed students to grasp the true vulnerability of so many species. We read this after reading various books about endangered animals. Reading about a special creature that actually became extinct prompted both outrage and sadness. “So many animals could disappear because of humans . . . ” one child observed solemnly.

Tiny Creatures The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies; illustrated by Emily Sutton

This title prompted a lot of “Wows” and a lot of hand washing! 🙂 It is so important for students to wonder about the world they can not easily see. The power of something very tiny is a very big idea.

The Iridescence of Birds: A Book about Henri Matisse written by Patricia MacLachlan with illustrations by Hadley Hooper

This title opened up the conversation about inspiration. What inspires an artist? What inspires any art? One child commented, “The book was about what inspired Matisse. Maybe we have inspiration all around us too.”

Our learning climbs up the walls, surrounding us all year.

We learned. Some things. A lot of things, in fact. Not close to everything. It’s a huge amazing world out there. But wow, did we learn.

We wondered. We pondered. We talked and listened. We developed our curiosity. We considered things from new perspectives. Most importantly, we considered our place in the world. What do we impact? What can we impact? What do we notice? What do we not yet understand? What do we plan to find out?

A year of reading nonfiction. I have described reading nonfiction titles with a class as building shared knowledge, one learning layer at a time. How exciting it was to build this developing understanding of the world with this group of children this year.

Looking for nonfiction titles to read aloud? Check out this list: Nonfiction Picture Books for Reading Aloud

Top Ten Tuesday: The Last Ten Books That Came into my Possession

Posted on July 13, 2015 by carriegelson

It’s time for Top Ten Tuesday, a meme created by The Broke and Bookish.

This week’s topic? The Last Ten Books That Came into my Possession

A hard one to answer – I just visited the book store and did a huge hold pick up at the library. A LOT of books just came into my possession! So, I thought I would think back over the last few months and make a list that shows some variety – both in the kinds of books and the kinds of reasons I now own them.

Shared in no particular order:

The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith

I managed to purchase this book days before it was released. Andrew Smith was here in Vancouver to speak at a literacy conference so the book was brought in a little early. And I got it signed. And I got to chat books and teaching with Andrew Smith. What could be better?

Jinx’s Fire by Sage Blackwood

My copy of this is an ARC that I got at nErD Camp Bellingham this spring. I own and have read the first two titles in this trilogy so can’t wait to read this one! It might be a read aloud to my children. I read them the second title and we finished it quite delightfully in the forest.

A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord

I am so excited to meet Cynthia Lord next spring at the Western Washington University’s Children’s Literature Conference! I purchased this book at the end of the year from Scholastic so I could be caught up!

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

I read and loved this title when it was first released. Then I heard that Jacqueline was coming to Vancouver. I purchased the first two tickets sold to see her! My husband and I had an evening out – hearing Jacqueline Woodson and all of her brilliance and then we went for dinner. I bought a copy to have signed and I smile every time I see it on my shelf.

Mark of a Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I am a huge fan of Jennifer Nielsen. My children and I went to see her when Vancouver Kidsbooks hosted an author evening last year. As a family we listened to The False Prince and then I read the next two titles in the series aloud to my children. I was eagerly anticipating this novel and lucky me, received it as a gift from one of my classroom volunteers. So excited to read it!

Pool by JiHyeon Lee

I am completely helpless to the power of wordless titles. When I discover one that is beautiful, I can’t resist purchasing it. This one had me at the cover.

Wish by Matthew Cordell

I have a huge variety of emotional and beautiful reasons why I had to own this book. It was meant for me as I know it is meant for many who finally have their most important of all wishes granted.

Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret by Bob Shea

Oh Bob Shea. You have full out giggle power over my students. I read this. Bought it. Read it aloud. Had it snatched from me. Daily, it would be momentarily returned. “Read it to all of us again.” I would. Then, snatched again. There are currently no students in my classroom. HA! I can go and read it anytime I want. Come September, I know I will never see it again. As it should be.

Egg: Nature’s Perfect Package by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Anything Steve Jenkins does, I have to own. I am always reading some parts of a Jenkins title to my students. We learn so much, so beautifully, from this man!

I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton

I have a brand new group of students this fall. I want to hook them quickly on nonfiction – what better way to do it than through humour and spiders. Learning as you laugh! Perfect.

What have you purchased/acquired lately and why?