In this post, I encourage you to bring authors into your classroom to add a personal dimension to social studies lessons. Autobiographical accounts, for example, can offer first-person perspectives on events under discussion. And authors who research and write about historical and cultural topics often present their interpretations and sources while revealing their methods and processes.
In this post I've highlighted summer's bounty with a smorgasbord of multimedia materials about books and authors that celebrate food. In her 2004 Charlotte Zolotow Lecture, Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park commented that she didn't trust a character until she knew what they ate. I wondered, "Would she trust a character that was made of food?"
As Father’s Day approaches, I love to think about all the fathers in the world who have had a positive influence on the children in their lives. In particular, I’m cognizant of several authors/illustrators with adult offspring who are now…
This spring we’ve been busily preparing to help celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Coretta Scott King (CSK) Book Awards. First celebrated in 1970, 246 recognitions have been bestowed since the award’s inception.
In the early years, only authors were…
In this month's post, I’ve selected a sampling of TeachingBooks.net materials on high-interest titles with low reading levels that students will find enjoyable and accessible. These multimedia resources will enliven book discussions as they honor students' interests.
In this post, I offer a selection of online book-based activities that can be shared at home to further encourage family participation with literature and reading. Web sites offer a wealth of material that can stimulate discussions about books. Video and audio interviews with authors, for example, provide fresh insights about their work. Novel units, now available online, can guide conversations about books, making it possible for busy family members to know more about what their children are reading and to ask questions about particular books. The Internet’s potential to bring people and information together adds dynamic new possibilities to extend family involvement in reading.