Newbery 2009 Award Announced

The 2009 Newbery Award was awarded on January 26, 2009 to  The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.  The ALA site is here:  http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal.cfm
  
Newbery 2009 Honor Books this year:
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
Savvy by Ingrid Law
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
     
There is always a lot of speculation about the possibilities and [...]

Caldecott and Newberry Books

Lots of blogs and websites are predicting the next Caldecott.reading year link
school library journal link
the reading zone newbery post
good reads Caldecott contenders post
Caldecott is dear to heart. I adore picture books. I have 1,000’s of picture books. I probably have nearly 10,000 pictures books in my personal library. The [...]

Small Moments List of Books

I am always looking for titles that work for Small Moments. Salt Hands by Jane Chelsea AragonSaturday and Teacakes by Lester LaminackThe Kissing Hand by Audrey PennJoshua’s Night Whispers by Angela JohnsonChicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco (other books by this author)Baghead by Jarrett J. Krosoczka My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia PolaccoAmazing Grace [...]

Small Moments (Many Moments during a Big Idea)

Sometimes a story has a big idea. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst has one big idea, A BAD DAY. The picture story book has many events of the bad day. The teacher and students retell the story as she places a bead on the [...]

Small Moment: What Matters to You?

Small Moment Unit of Study
String of Mini Lessons: Writers write focused, true stories about their lives· Writers zoom in (like a photographer) on just a small moment and recall it· Writers focus in on most important part of a memory· Watermelon/seed- big story –vs- small moment· Share how a published author zooms in· Contrast a [...]

Writing Mini-Lesson: Book List for Memoir

Abercrombie, Barbara. Charlie AndersonBarber, Tiki and Ronde. By My Brother’s SideBarber, Tiki and Ronde. Game DayBauer, Marion Dane. When I Go Camping With GrandmaBrinckloe, Judith. FirefliesChall, Marsha. Up North at the CabinCrews, Donald. Big MamasCrews, Donald. ShortcutCurtis, Jamie Lee. When I Was LittleDahl, Roald. Boy: Tales [...]

Books with Strong Endings

8 Plus 1 Stories by Robert Cormier – poignant endingBad Day at Riverbend by Chris van Allsburg – surprise endingBea and Mr. Jones by Amy Schwartz – surprise endingBeach Feet by Lynn ReiserBest Friends by Lee Bennet Hopkins, editor“Poem” by Langston HughesBig Book for Peace by Ann DurrellBob and Shirley by Harriet Ziefert – circular [...]

Books with Strong Leads or Beginnings

All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlanBabushka Baba-Yaga by Patricia PolaccoBat Poet byRandall Jarrell BeaMr. Jones by Amy SchwartzBeasty Story by Bill Martin, Jr.Bee Tree by Patricia PolaccoBigmama’s by Donald CrewsBut I’ll Be Back Again by Cynthia RylantCabin Key by Gloria RandCharlie Anderson by Barbara AbercrombieCinder-Elly by Frances MintersCoyote Cry by Byrd BaylorCross-Country Cat [...]