'Can I Touch Your Hair' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaU67Ps7TWw I sink down into my seat. Patty Jean's answer is my answer. I learn when it comes to black and white, sometimes it's best to press my lips closed and not say anything at all."-Charles Waters, Can I Touch Your Hair Literacy Central Teacher's Guide When Irene and Charles … Continue reading ‘Can I Touch Your Hair’ and ‘Separate is Never Equal’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfOeRc5KByU I don't care how many courses you take or how many books you read. You'll never understand what it means to be a Negro. You'll never face the discrimination they see everyday. You'll never struggle the way they do. -Varian Johnson, The Parker Inheritance The Parker Inheritance is one of my favorite books that … Continue reading ‘The Parker Inheritance’

“Through all my years enslaved,I've listened to ancestral voices echoing through my weariness, giving me strength to withstand injustice, to believe in myself and survive. May our songs and stories keep alive in us the will to grow in learning. The longing to be free!"-Ashley Bryan, Freedom Over Me Teaching Book Resource "Freedom Over Me; … Continue reading ‘Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slave’s, Their Live’s and Dreams Brought To Life

'Dreamers' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAiTFJaNiD8 Someday we will become something we haven't even yet imagined."-Dreamers, Yuyi Morales Global Read Aloud: Dreamers Resources Author Yuyi Morales shares her work, passion, hopes and dreams in Dreamers. Yuyi's passage was not easy. In 1994 Yuyi left Mexico and "crossed a bridge" (immigrated) into the United States with her infant son. She … Continue reading ‘Dreamers’ and ‘A Crack in the Sea’

'Rescue and Jessica', 'Last Stop on Market Street' and 'Red: A Crayon's Story' are all about overcoming obstacles in your life. It is all about making the most out of situations despite the circumstances willing to take you down. In Rescue and Jessica, Jessica made the most out of her disability. She overcame the obstacle … Continue reading ‘Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship’, ‘Last Stop on Market Street’ and ‘Red: A Crayon’s Story”

'My Two Blankets' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzE4dkbtyc0 My new blanket grew just as warm and soft and comfortable as my old blanket. And now, no matter which blanket I use, I will always be me."-My Two Blankets, Kobald & Blackwood 'My Two Blankets' by Irena Kobald and Freya Blackwood is an inspiring picture book about friendship. Cartwheel, a … Continue reading ‘Her Right Foot’, ‘My Two Blankets’, and ‘Wishtree’

Both 'The Girl and the Wolf' and 'The Wild Robot' are books based on the foundation of courage, self-determination, and friendship in unlikely places. The Girl in 'The Girl and the Wolf' discovers that courage and determination has always been within her. However, it took the Wolf's questions and guidance for her to discover it … Continue reading ‘The Girl and the Wolf’ and ‘The Wild Robot’

Below are the qualities that I believe are essential for an excellent children's book... Engages and interests the reader (Reader can't put the book down while reading)Strong characters that teach valuable lessons (If applicable), vivid and mind-expanding illustrations Storyline that moves at a fast paceExpansive vocabulary and figurative language

How did the author make the book believable? In other words, how true is the emotional reality of the story…Discuss one of the main characters. How did the author make this character unique and believable? What issues does this character grapple with? How does the character evolve across the book? How were you able to … Continue reading Evaluating Children’s Literature