Small Reads for Brighters Days
I’m so tickled that Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom is including If You Want to Knit Some Mittens on their website for educators! Although this picture book is a funny, fictional, friendship story, it’s also the story of how a pair of wool mittens starts with a sheep’s coat, which goes through many transformations to […]
This fabulous infographic co-created by Melissa Stewart, debuted in September, when I was in Scotland. But, ya know, better late than never and all that. I’m sharing it now because it’s full of great ideas about sharing nonfiction books with kids. These ideas are adaptable to school libraries, classroom teachers, parents, and public libraries. Check […]
Hi, educators! I hope you’re well. I’m sick as a dog in Florida, and I’m having to cancel my storytime in Minnesota for tomorrow. I’ve never had to do that in 15 years of author visits & storytimes. Sigh. Meanwhile, two things for you today! I’m Looking for Kids to Answer a Question in a […]
Hi, educators! I usually post on Wednesdays with news and curriculum connections to my books, but I’m too excited to wait. I’ve got three (yes, three) books coming out in March 2023, and Mr. Schu is hosting a cover reveal for one of them today! You can check out Finding Family: The Duckling Raised by […]
In September, I visited Scotland with my husband, sister, and brother-in-law—and our daughter Maddie joined us for a couple of days in Edinburgh. I’m so grateful to have had this trip. Whenever I’m lucky enough to travel, I think about what people all over the world have both in common and in difference—and how to […]
Fall is my favorite season, when I get to enjoy cooler weather and gorgeous leaves here in Minnesota. For my book A Leaf Can Be…, I have a gazillion (well, not a gazillion, but 30+) downloadable reading and writing sheets tied into common core ELA standards for grades K-2. Here’s an example. Just click here […]
We humans, just like other animals, get ready for winter in lots of ways. Here are a few things you can do in your classroom: Ask your students to brainstorm some ways they’re getting ready for winter. Read Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle to learn about the three categories of winter survival techniques. Call a naturalist at […]
Let’s talk about fall—my favorite season! It’s the perfect time to break out some knitted goodies, like these fingerless gloves I made in the spring. And you can use If You Want to Knit Some Mittens for discussions about the process of getting from sheep to mittens, along with chats about friendship and the value […]
[Still off the grid, but I’ll be back next week!] Wow, did I have a loony summer. That’s because Yvonne Pearson (author of Little Loon Finds His Voice) and I teamed up for 14 Minnesota storytimes about loons. FOURTEEN! Whee! Here’s a quick photo gallery, and I want to give big thanks to Yvonne, Cortney […]
Welcome, teachers, to the first Classroom Connections post of the new school year! I’m so glad you’re here! First things first, I have to tell you—I’m NOT here. I’m off the grid for the first half of September, but I hope you’ll enjoy these posts anyway! :>) So many educator friends have talked about the […]
