Book Trailer

Traditional Literature #2

Book Title: "Adelita: A Mexican Cinderella Story"Author: Tomie dePaolaIllustrator: Tomie dePaolaPublisher: Puffin Books, Copyright 2004Number of pages: 40Genre: Traditional Literature

Much like our American Cinderella, a beautiful young girl named Adelita lives with her evil stepmother and stepsisters. There is a young Prince, Javier, that is in search of a wife. Adelita loses her rebozo - shawl - while rushing out of the fiesta at midnight, and this is the only clue that can can help the young Prince find the beautiful Adelita! This is a beautiful Mexican twist on the popular fairy tale we call Cinderella.

dePaola does an exquisite job with the paintings in this story. He really showcases the folk art of Mexico.

Grade Level: KContent Area: 6 ) Compare cultural similarities and differences in individuals, families, and communities.Examples: celebrations, food, traditions

I would do a comparison of both stories, American and Hispanic, of Cinderella. The students could talk about things that are the same and things that are different. This would take quite a bit of prompting from the teacher, but I believe that the kids would enjoy it. This would especially help you connect with your ELL's in the classroom. 

Traditional Literature #1

Book Title: "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs"
Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publisher: Puffin Books, Copyright 1996
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Traditional Literature

Just when you think you know the story of the three little pigs...you don't. "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" is a comical twist on the original fairy tale often told to young children. This particular version is told from the wolf's point of view. It turns out that those three little pigs may not be as innocent as we thought!

The illustrations are very simple and maybe even a little wacky, but they do an awesome job telling the story.

Grade level:1st
Content Area: ELA
Standard: 2) Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson. [RL.1.2]

I chose to use this book with 1st grade because I saw it done in my practicum classroom this semester. I would read the story aloud and then use it for a retell. The students would be able to use retell cards, sticks, or even digital storytelling apps.

Poetry #2

Poem Title: "Dust of Snow"
Author: Robert Frost
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: London Mercury, Copyright 1020 (Original)
Number of pages: 1
Genre: Poetry

"The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued."

Grade level: 5th
Content Area: ELA
Standard: 20) Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words [RF.5.3] 

a. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context. [RF.5.3a]

I would use this for 5th grade as a reading activity. I would introduce the new vocabulary word, "rued," read the poem aloud using different modes of reading (i.e. choral reading and partner reading), and follow up with a class discussion. I would be able to hear them read aloud and listen for fluency in their reading.

Poetry #1

Poem Title: "Twas The Night Before Christmas"
Author: Clement C. Moore
Illustrator: Elena Almazova & Vitaly Shvarov
Publisher: Grafton and Scratch Publishers, Copyright 2013 (Reprint edition)
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Poetry

"Twas the night before Christmas and all throughout the house.." is a classic children's poem about the excitement of Santa making his visits on Christmas Eve night. This is a 21st century edition that is made a little more child friendly for today's young readers.

The illustrations are so much fun and inviting! Almazova and Shvarov did an amazing job providing the pictures for this 21st century version of a very old, but classic children's poem.

Grade level: 2nd
Content Area: ELA (Writing)
Standard: 24) Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. [W.2.3]

I would read this with 2nd grade as a read aloud. I would then have them write their own poem about the night before Christmas in their own house. This would allow them to get creative in their writing and practice creating poetry of their own.

Historical Fiction #2

Book Title: The War the Saved My LifeAuthor: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group, Copyright 2016
Number of pages: 352
Genre: Historical Fiction

During WWII, a young girl named Ada has been cooped up in their tiny one bedroom apartment her entire life. Her mother is too embarrassed of her twisted foot to let her go anywhere, but she quickly steals her chance to sneak away. Her brother is going to be shipped out of the country because of the war and Ada finds herself sneaking with him. They meet a woman named Susan and develop such a loving relationship. Will the bond between Susan, Ada, and her brother, Jamie be strong enough to withstand the war?

There are no illustrations, being that this is a chapter book, but the picture on the cover is intriguing! The reader is able to see a little girl staring off in the distance, and the twisted foot that is responsible for keeping her captive.

Grade level: 4th
Content Area: ELA
Standard: 3) Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions). [RL.4.3]

I would use this in a fourth grade classroom as a read loud. This book may be a little above some of the students' independent reading level, but I feel as though the content would be enriching for them. I would hold discussions with them daily as we read through the book, as well as have them create journal entires to organize their thoughts as we read. After reading the story, I would have them choose a character (Ads, Jamie, or Susan) and analyze them on their own. They would then have the opportunity to create some kind of presentation on the character, digital if they have access to iPads, and then share their presentations with the class. They can also post it to SeeSaw, class Facebook or Instagram pages, or even a class blog.

Historical Fiction #1

Book Title: Bud, Not BuddyAuthor: Christopher Paul Curtis
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Delacorte Press for Young Readers, Copyright 1999
Number of pages: 256
Genre: Historical Fiction

Bud, Not Buddy is about a young African American boy that happens to be an orphan during the Great Depression. Bud lives in Flint, Michigan and quickly learns that things will not work in his favor simply because of the color of his skin. He's on a journey in search of his birth father, who he seems to think he's found in a band. Bud learns the true meaning of family and love in this historically rich novel for young readers.

There are no illustrations, but the cover of the book does a great job depicting the main character of the story, Bud.

Grade Level: 5th
Content Area: ELA
Standard: 2 ) Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. [RL.5.2]

I would use this book in a 5th grade classroom for both ELA and a short Social Studies lesson on the Great Depression. The characters, setting, and events could all be compared and discussed throughout the novel. I would read this book with my students aloud daily and hold discussions from there. I would be able to listen to their responses and provide them feedback on the responses they provide, right then and there. 

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Contemporary Realistic Fiction Blog #2

Book Title: "No, David!"
Author: David Shannon
Illustrator: David Shannon
Publisher: Blue Sky Press, Copyright 1998
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction 

When David Shannon was just a young boy, 5 years old to be exact, he just could not stay out of trouble. He broke every single one of his mom's rules. All he ever heard his mother say was, "No, David!" He did everything from showing a mouth full of food at dinner to breaking his mother's vase. He sees at the end, however, that his mother only does it out of love!

The illustrations are so fun and colorful! They are hysterical to look at and do an excellent job of illustrating the events of the story. The reader will always get a kick out David Shannon's accurate picture of David breaking all of the rules.

Grade Level: 1st grade
Content Area: ELA
Standard: 2) Retells stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

This would be a great story for retell with 1st grade! They could recount the events that took place in the correct order. They could do this in a number of ways- retell cards, popsicle stick retell with picture clues glued on them, digital storytelling apps, and even through simple discussion.

Contemporary Realistic Fiction Book Blog #1

Book Title: Because of Winn-DixieAuthor: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Candlewick, Copyright 2009
Number of pages: 288
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

One day a young girl named Opal heads down to the grocery store to get some groceries and she stumbles upon a new friend...a dog that she decides to take home and name Winn-Dixie. Winn-Dixie became her very best friend and was the reason for several things- Opal finally made new friends and got the courage to ask her father about her mother that abandoned them when she was just 3 years old. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal learned true friendship and had the Sumer of her life!

Because of Winn-Dixie is a chapter book, so there are no illustrations. However the cover to the book is so child friendly and inviting. The original publication pictures a little girl walking along with her dog, Opal and Winn-Dixie.
Grade Level: 5th grade

Content Area: ELA
Standard: 2) Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in a text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. [RL.5.2]

In my classroom, I would use this to help my students practice determining the theme of a story and summarizing the text. They could do a writing assignment for summarizing the text and publish it on some kind of digital platform when finished. This book could be a part of a Literature Focus Unit in which the students are working with the book in small groups. They would each have a specific job and rotate each day. Within these groups, they can work together to determine the theme of the story.

Nonfiction Book Blog #2

Book Title: "Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum"
Author/Illustrator: Meghan McCarthy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, Copyright 2010
Number of pages: 40
Genre: Nonfiction

What child doesn't like gum, especially bubble gum? In this fun nonfiction children's book, kids will get to learn the actual history behind bubble gum. They get to learn where it came from, when it came to be, and who is behind the Dubble Bubble Magic.

The illustrations are both fun and engaging! They contain lots of detail and color, which attracts the attention of young children everywhere.

Grade level: 3rd grade
Subject Area: ELA
Standard: 10) Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for answers.

This would be such a fun book to use for a Literature Circle! I could have each circle read this book, but they could choose what they want to do with it afterwards. I would simply want them to show me that they can read and comprehend the book, ask each other questions about the book, and answer questions about the book. They could create display board with factual evidence from the book and then present them to the rest of the class.

Nonfiction Book Blog #1

Book Title: "Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the True Story of an American Feud"
Author: Suzanne Tripp Jurmain
Illustrator: Larry Day
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers, Copyright 2011
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Nonfiction

Two very important figures in American History, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, just cannot seem to get along when it comes to running the newly created United States. They disagree so much so that they wind up running two opposing political parties, and those disagreements followed them all the way into the White House. Its readers will get to see how these two great presidents chose to put their differences aside and bring back their friendship once again.

The illustrations seem like they could have been done in watercolor. They do a great job at showing the readers different aspects of life in the era of Adams and Jefferson. These aspects include the way that they dress, the way they wore their hair, and even how print used to look compared to what it is today.

Grade level: 4th grade
Subject Area: Social Studies
Standard: 8) Identify major events of the American Revolution, including the battles of Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Yorktown. 

• Explaining contributions of Thomas Jefferson,...

I would love to read this book aloud with my students. From there, I would have them pick a side: Team Jefferson or Team Adams. I would give them time to do their research, choose, a side, and determine why they chose that side. I would allow each of them to present their argument. This would be a great opportunity to teach the social studies content, but also to teach them how to debate respectfully.

Science Fiction Book Blog #2

Book Title: The City of EmberAuthor: Jeanne DuPrau
Illustrator: N/A
Publisher: Yearling, Copyright 2004
Number of pages: 270
Genre: Science Fiction

In this dystopian novel, Lina and her friend Doon must fight to save what's left of their city. The only light source available to their city is beginning to flickr, and they believe they may have found the key to saving their sacred City of Ember.

With this being a chapter book, there are no illustrations. However, the cover of the book is very intriguing. I believe that it would attract the attention of your older and possibly more mature students. The background is very dark with the center of the cover showing a single light bulb giving off a very limited amount of light, just as in the story.

Grade Level: 5th grade
Subject Area: ELA (Key Ideas and Details)
Standard: 2) Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. [RL.5.2]

This would be a great book to read as a class with 5th grade students. It would do an excellent job at introducing the idea of a dystopian story as well as make your students think. They could do a variety of projects related to this book. I like the idea of having them work with groups, not according to ability, and having them create a book trailer for The City of Ember. By doing so, they must explore all parts of the book, including the theme, to put the right pieces together to make an effective book trailer. Lastly, I would let them all show their book trailers to the rest of the class and post them to a class blog, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

Science Fiction Book Blog #1

Book Title: "If You Decide To Go To The Moon"
Author: Faith McNulty
Illustrator: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: Scholastic Press, Copyright 2005
Number of pages: 48
Genre: Science Fiction

This unforgettable story takes its readers through every step of the journey to travel to the moon. It escorts you through the process of packing, liftoff, landing, and of course how to get home. Readers will learn all about the moon and even get to "land" at the Sea of Tranquility, the site of the first lunar landing.

The illustrations in this story are mind blowing. Kellogg goes into great detail with his pictures of the moon, outer space, the rocket, and everything else that embodies a trip to the moon.

Grade Level: 1st grade
Subject Area: Science (Earth's Place in the Universe)
Standard: 8) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day). 

I would use this book as an introduction into an "Earth's Place in the Universe" unit. As a class, we could take a trip to the moon and use the book to help take us there. From there, we could dive into the other topics mentioned in this standard such as patterns we see in the sun and stars, how they move across the sky, and why we can see other stars at night but not during the day. This unit could very easily take a couple of weeks to complete.

Modern Fantasy Book Blog #2

Book Title: "The Wonky Donkey"
Author: Craig Smith
Illustrator: Katz Cowley
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, Copyright 2010
Number of pages: 24
Genre: Modern Fantasy

Your students will get such a kick out of this hilarious book about a donkey that is quite wonky! He's got three legs, smells terrible, and is so cranky. This will, without a doubt, keep your students engaged and could even be the story that makes them learn to love reading.

The illustrations in this book are hilarious. The pictures in this book do such a great job at allowing the readers to picture the 'wonky donkey' that is bringing them so much laughter and joy.

Grade Level: 1st grade
Subject Area: ELA (Integration of Knowledge and Ideas)
Standard: 7) Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, settings, or events. [RL.1.7]

This is a great book to use to connect the illustrations to the main character, the wonky donkey. They could create their own illustration of the wonky donkey after reading the story with a reading group, and then write a few sentences (3 or 4) describing the donkey that they created.This covers the standard as well as allowing their creative juices to flow.

Modern Fantasy Book Blog #1

Book Title: "How to Teach a Slug to Read"
Author: Susan Pearson
Illustrator: David Slonim
Publisher: Two Lions, Copyright 2011
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Modern Fantasy

"How to Teach a Slug to Read" is about a young boy who decides he wants to teach a slug how to read. If he can talk, why shouldn't he be able to read? The young boy takes us step by step through the important parts of learning how to read. He tells Mama Slug that in order for Little Slug to learn to read, she should do each of these things: read out loud to him, point out words that repeat, sound words out, make vocabulary lists, and be patient!

Slonim's illustrations are done with acrylics and charcoal, which make for a hilarious representation of Little Slug's journey to reading. They include a lot of color and a great visual representation of each step you should take to learn to read. This can tremendously help your younger readers learn ways to help them to become great readers.

Grade Level: K
Subject Area: ELA (Integration of Knowledge and Ideas)
Standard: 7) With prompting and support, describe the relationship between the illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts.) [R.L.7] 

I absolutely love this book for this Kindergarten standard. You could do a read aloud whole group, hold a grand discussion after, and then break your students into reading groups. In their reading groups, you could assign one "expert" per group. The expert will be the leader of the group and lead the discussions. You could have them talk with their group about how the pictures in the book help tell the story. You could explain to them that illustrations in a story are meant to tell the story along with the words, and that there is a relationship between the words in a story and the illustrations. It's like they help each other!

Diverse Perspectives/International Literature Book Blog #4

Book Title: "Amazing Grace"
Author: Mary Hoffman
Illustrator: Caroline Binch
Publisher: Recorded Books, Copyright 2000
Number if pages: 32
Genre: Fiction

Grace loves acting things out, and she has her heart set on the role of Peter Pan in her school play. Her classmates attempt to discourage her for a number of reasons, but like most grandmothers, Grace's Nana sends her encouraging words and makes Grace realize that she can do absolutely anything that she sets her mind to.

Binch's illustrations in this story are radiant and upbeat. They add a lot of depth and meaning to Grace's story. They appear to be made of watercolor ink, which is gorgeous enough in itself.

Grade level: 2nd grade
Content area: ELA (Craft and Structure)
Standard: 6) Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud. [RL.2.6]

I would like to break the students into groups and give each group their own copy. I would assign them different characters to be while they read the story aloud together. I would want them to focus on the different view points each of those characters have. After they are all finished , I would want them to present to the class the differences that they found. 

Diverse Perspectives/International Literature Book Blog #3

Book title: "Trailblazer: The Story of Ballerina Raven Wilkinson"
Author: Leda Schubert
Illustrator: Theodore Taylor III
Publisher: Little Bee Books, Copyright 2018
Genre: Children's Nonfiction Literature, Biography

This story tells the story of a young African American girl that goes on to become the first black ballerina to perform in a classical ballet. Raven Wilkinson began dancing at the age of 9, and began touring with her first "troupe" in 1955. Raven experienced great racism and discrimination throughout her career, but chose to overcome it all for her love of and passion for dancing.

Theodore Taylor III uses beautiful illustrations, majority line illustrations, that truly bring the story to life. The pictures are extremely vivid and colorful. I believe that students would be very engaged with this text.

Grade level: 3rd grade
Content area: ELA (Literature)
Standard: 3) Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events. [RL.3.3]

Like many books, this would be great for a read aloud with your students. They could do a follow up discussion with a partner, sometimes referred to a Turn & Talk with younger children, and then share their discussions with the rest of the class. They could discuss Raven Wilkinson and the actions she had to take in order become the strong individual that she was.

Diverse Perspectives/International Literature Book Blog #2

Book title: "I'm New Here"
Author/Illustrator: Ann Sibley O'Brien
Publisher: Charlesbridge, Copyright 2015
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Fiction

Young immigrants from Guatemala, Somalia, and Korea are struggling to adjust in their new elementary school in the United States of America. There is a huge language barrier between these immigrant students, their peers, and their teachers. However, the school community makes sure that these students are well supported and encouraged. This treatment allows for these young students to build confidence and persevere through this new school year in a new place. They still hold their home language and culture close to their hearts as they become accustomed to their new home.

The illustrations in this story do an excellent job at showing the diversity that comes about within the school. It realistically shows the difference in skin tones that children may see while at school. They are also able to see different dress required by other cultures other than our own. These would be great teachable moments.

Grade Level: 3
Content Area: ELA (Literature)
Standard: 2) Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. 

This book would be great for a read aloud, especially if you are expecting a new student that may not be from America. I always like discussing the book in whole group to see the reactions about the story and their own perspectives. I believe that breaking them into groups for further discussion and to create something to show that they know the moral of the story using key details from the text would be beneficial. They could create a book blog online and respond to a given prompt. Their book blogs could be on a safe website on which all of their classmates, teachers, and parents could see. They could comment back and forth with each other, debating and discussing what they think the central message is.

Diverse Perspectives/International Literature Book Blog #1

Book Title: "Thank You, Mr. Falker"
Author/Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Philomel Books, Copyright 2001
Number of pages: 40
Genre: Autobiographical Story

All Trisha dreams about doing is learning. She watches her older siblings go off to school over the years, and she just cannot wait to go herself. However, when she gets there things do not go quite as she planned. Little Trisha struggles learning to read, and is faced with bullies each day at school. School is absolutely miserable for her until she meets her new teacher, Mr. Falker. Like many teachers, Mr. Falker believes in Trisha and forms a very special relationship with her as a student, enabling her to see that school may not be so miserable after all.

Patricia Polacco's illustrations are amazing. It seems as though she is using pens and pencils for this story, which give it a childlike feel. She also does a great job at matching the colors she uses to the tone and emotions that she is trying to convey. When Trisha begins to feel as though she's in a dark place, Polacco makes sure to use darker colors (i.e. the black background).

Grade level: 2
Content Area: ELA (Reading Standards for Literature)
Standard: 3) Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. [RL.2.3]

For this particular book, I would want to do a read aloud with my students followed with a class discussion. I would want to hear their feelings about the story, talk about different disabilities (including Dyslexia), and discuss with them how important it is to overcome in life. After the discussion, I would love for them to write in their writing journals about Trisha. I might give them a prompt such as, "Trisha faces many challenges throughout the story. Describe those challenges to me and then tell me how Trisha reacts to those challenges."

Picture Book Blog #2

Book Title: "Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Farm"
Author: Joy Cowley
Illustrator: Elizabeth Fuller
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., Copyright 2003
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Fiction, Picture Book

Mrs. Wishy-Washy lives on a farm with many farm animals, a truck, and a barn. There is nothing that the animals dislike as much as bathing in the old tin tub that sits next to the barn. After each have their baths, they decide to leave and never come back to Mrs. Wishy-Washy's farm. They go all over the big city and face obstacle after obstacle. When they are all ready to give up, and feeling quite sad, Mrs. Wishy-Washy comes back to save the day. Needless to say, the animals were full of joy and excitement to return to the farm and take nice, bubbly baths in the old tin tub that sits beside the barn.

Elizabeth Fuller, illustrator for this fun little book, did an excellent job. The pictures are simple, yet colorful. The readers are exposed to a drawing of each farm animal that is included in the story. This helps your struggling readers, students with IEPs for reading, and your ELLs. She also includes illustrations of the farm and the city, two places that certain students may never have seen before. If your students grew up in a tiny town out in the country, for example Shelby, Alabama, then they may never have seen a big city. Vice versa, if they grew up in New York City, then they may have never seen a farm. It's ideal when illustrators include drawings of sas many "things" that are included in the tory as possible. This will help the strugglers be able to enjoy and understand the story so much more.

Grade Level: K
Content Area: Reading for Literature
Standard: 2) With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. [RL.K.2]

With my students, I would begin with a class discussion on farm animals. We would talk about some examples, some of the sounds that they make, where they live, and maybe how they eat. The discussion could follow with a read aloud of "Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Farm." We could have a follow-up discussion about how the students enjoyed the book and what they thought about the story. We could then do a retell of the story by breaking the children into small groups, maybe 4 students or so, and allowing them to use iPads if available. I would provide each group with a set of retell cards and let them take turns videoing each other retelling the story using the retell cards. I could walk around to each group as they are doing this activity, and I can also use the videos as a form of assessment to know if the child is able to retell a story correctly.

Picture Book Blog #1

Book Title: "Three Cheers for Tacky"
Author: Helen Lester
Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., Copyright 1994
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Picture Book

A group of penguins that go by the names Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect all lived together on an iceberg. Then there was Tacky- a penguin that was not so normal compared to the other birds. Tacky was the "oddball." After school one day, the penguins found out that they were invited to compete in the Penguin Cheering Contest. Penguins from all over the iceberg would participate. Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Perfect, and Tacky all wanted the same big prize- the shiny blue bow ties. The team practiced and practiced until everyone got the cheer right; everyone except Tacky, that is.  Tacky just could not keep up with the rest of the birds until one day...he finally got it right! The day of the competition arrived and team after team performed. No one could quite seem to entertain the judges, however. Our team of penguins goes last, but they are certainly not least. Tacky puts on quite a show for everyone when he stumbled and fell flat on his belly in the middle of the cheer. The crowd loved it. He ended up leading the crowd in not one, but three cheers in the Penguin Cheering Contest. There was no question to whether or not our little group of penguins got to take home the shiny blue bow ties.

Illustrator Lynn Munsinger did an excellent job with the images presented in this book. The illustrations are all vivid, colorful, and kid-friendly. She makes sure to include pictures for each event that occurs on each page. This is a great way to represent the story for your students who are not quite reading yet, and for your ELL's that are not fluent in English. The pictures also do a great job showing how Tacky stands out and is different from the other penguins. The reader is able to visualize how he struggles to fit in and be apart of the team. Munsinger also did well at varying where the illustrations were placed throughout the story. Some images are above the words, some are below the words, and some take up the entire page. 

Grade Level: K
Content Area: Reading (Literature)
Standard: 1) Make predictions to determine main idea and anticipate an ending. [RL.K.1a]

 

I would read "Three Cheers for Tacky" as a read aloud. When I come to the part where Tacky stumbles and falls in the middle of their cheer at the competition, I would pause reading and pose a question to my students. This question might be, "Since Tacky fell and messed up the cheer, what do you think will happen? Do you think that they will win the competition and get to take home their shiny blue bow ties?" I could put them into small groups or do a 'Turn and Talk' with a partner to let them share their ideas. After letting them talk with each other, we could come back together as a whole class and let them share their ideas with everyone else. 

"Why Open A School? To Close A Prison"

Nadia Lopez, founding Principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, speaks about the need for teachers today to instill hope and purpose inside our students. Without these two things, our students will stop learning. When our students stop learning, what do you think happens to them?

Many students will choose the wrong path, wrong people ,etc, but being surrounded by educators who love and support them has the power to change that. We need teachers that are willing to see beyond where a student may come from. These teachers must be able to teach with empathy and understanding with regards to students from disadvantaged families or communities. 

Principal Lopez, along with Rita Pierson, have furthered my inspiration to work with disadvantaged communities as a teacher. Those kids-the ones that do not go home to sunshine and rainbows every day-are the ones that need that extra love and push. Those kids are the ones that have the potential to do great things in life. I recently came across an article that said, "Students who suffer from trauma, and those with mental health issues are not not throw away kids that we toss to the side. They are children who have the potential to do great things in life. That is not a political statement...it is a reality.”

It's these students, that come from impoverished communities and homes that often exhibit these behaviors. We cannot let their circumstances define them. 

"3 Rules to Spark Learning"

As teachers, it is vital that we follow Ramsey Musallam's  three rules to spark learning: spark curiosity in students, embrace the trial and error process, and reflect on what you have done and learned. If we continue to simply stand in front of our students and feed them this "scripted" information that is sometimes forced on us, learning will cease. Kids today need to be pushed to their limits- and in order to do so, we must make them WANT to learn. We need to inspire them to ask questions and foster their curiosity about new things.

When it comes to Chemistry, Mr. Musallam does his absolute best every single day to make learning fun and desirable in his classroom. Instead of lecturing to them for the whole class period, he shows them all of the "cool" things that are a part of Chemistry. It might be a simple experiment, but it still beats sitting in your seat listening to someone ramble on about things that you don't understand. Sometimes seeing something puts all the missing pieces together. When they seem something that they don't understand, it is natural to be curious about how it works and why. This is what learning is all about today!

"Every Child Needs A Champion"

Rita Pierson's appearance on Ted Talk embodies almost my entire inspiration for becoming a teacher. Mrs. Pierson really brought to light the fact that we, as teachers, are responsible for being the champion that many kids do not have. Every child deserves to feel confident in themselves academically, and as people.

It is also important to remember that focusing on a child's success, no matter how small, will benefit them more than you could ever know. Mrs. Pierson gave us an example about a student that only answered 2/20 quiz questions correctly, but instead of putting a huge circle around "-18", she put a circle around "+2" with a smiley face. Sure, the child clearly did not understand the concept taught, but what Mrs. Pierson did was fill that student with the confidence he needed to try harder.

I would love to share this video with my future colleagues, because I believe that it serves as an important reminder for every educator. I think that this truth gets overlooked sometimes due to the overwhelming pressures and responsibilities placed on teachers today. It only takes a simple word of encouragement, however, to completely turn a student's day and mindset around.

How Did I Wind Up On The Path To Education?

 

      "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This was the golden question growing up. My answer never once changed throughout my childhood, awkward middle school years, or even my high school career. I graduated high school and entered my first year of college knowing exactly what I wanted to do with my life. People always criticized what I considered my dream career to be. I was always told, "You'll never make any money as a teacher," "You need to go into the medical field because that's where the money is at." First off, anyone that is currently a teacher or an aspiring teacher knows that you don't choose a career in education for the money. Secondly, I believe that if you choose a career path solely based on how much money you will make, then you'll be miserable. Money isn't everything. I chose to pursue my education to become a future educator because I love kids and love the art of teaching. As a teacher, you take young minds and shape them into successful beings, both in school and the world that they live in. What teachers do is absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to be a part of that.

     I had the amazing experience of teaching dance for four years at the studio I practically grew up in. I danced from about three years old until the end of my second year at the University of Montevallo. I taught young girls whose age ranged from three to about fourteen. This teaching experience really helped me to understand the importance of loving and caring for your students. It isn't only about teaching them the skills. By the end of each year, I had a relationship with each student, some of which I keep up with to this day. Each relationship was different in its own way and I believe that both the dancers and I benefited greatly from building those relationships. Like George Curous says in Innovator's Mindset, the most important part of a teacher's job is "Realtionships, relationships, relationships!"

     

     I was fortunate enough to have a teacher as a young girl who impacted my life more than she could ever know. My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Bates, is responsible for my love for learning and my inspiration to become a teacher. She came into our classroom every morning eager to be there and ready to teach. I, as a student, could tell that she truly loved her job and wanted the absolute best for her students. She always did her best to make our days of learning fun and to make each of us feel like we belonged. One of my biggest goals as a teacher is to make a difference in at least one child's life over the course of my career. I will always strive to make sure that my students feel important and to make sure that they know that they will always have my support, no matter where life's journey takes them.