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New Release Spotlight: July 27, 2021
Another short list to round out July! This whole month has been pretty small for new releases, but just wait until next week! I did a quick look at the
New Release Spotlight: July 20, 2021
Hot hot hot in my part of Mexico this week! I live in Puerto Morelos, where the summertime daytime temps hover around 89-90 and the humidity is in the 80%
What are Tall Tales?
When I was a third grader, my teacher did a unit on tall tales. I remember it quite well, especially because every student in my class had to write a
Five Benefits of Reading Tall Tales with your Students
Why should you read tall tales with students? Here are five great benefits… 1. They are fun, interesting stories that students love. Who doesn’t want to read about the giant
Ideas for Teaching Tall Tales in the School Library
Ready to give it a try? Here are some ideas for teaching tall tales in your library… 1. Characteristics of Tall Tales Read aloud any picture book tall tale to
Tall Tale Heroes
Looking for some high-quality tall tale picture books and read-alouds? Unfortunately, not all of these heroes have their stories available in-print. Check your public library for out of print editions,
New Release Spotlight: July 13, 2021
Another short July week! The list is too short this week for me to have any strong favorites. Wherever you read this week, make sure it’s cool! This week’s Spotlight
New Release Spotlight: July 6, 2021
Another small list this week! It’s hot and humid here in Mexico–definitely time to stay inside and read! This week’s top picks: Where It All Lands by Jennie Wexler (YA)
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Book Speed Dating: The Hows and Whys
Oh, this lesson is awesome! I’ve wanted to try out book speed dating for awhile now, and I finally went for it last week. I wanted to use a smaller
First Days of School in a New-To-You Library
Wait…what? Did I miss something? Why is Mrs. ReaderPants posting an article about the first days of school…in the middle of December? As we approach Winter Break, I realized I
Fun Ideas for Library Orientation
Ahh, the first day of school! Call me crazy, but I’ve always loved it! I will see my first classes for library orientation this Wednesday. We have a book fair
Dewey Decimal Shelf Labels : How to Print and Make
Let’s face it: No matter how much instruction we give, many students (and their teachers and parents!) simply do not understand the Dewey Decimal System. I can remember sitting through
Back to School Night Survival: Three Freebies
Summer seems to get shorter and shorter every year! Back in late-June, I blinked, and now here we are in August. When I first started teaching in 2001, my school
New school librarian? 10 things you should do first…
You’ve landed a brand new school librarian job–congratulations! All summer, you’ve looked forward to standing in the middle of your very own library, taking a deep breath, and reveling in
Can schools legally withhold report cards due to nonpayment of fines?
When I lived in Texas (up to 2014), my school held student report cards for nonpayment of lost/damaged library books and unpaid cafeteria charges. I had to turn in a
Six Things That Annoy Me About Children’s Book Marketing
Dear publishers, We need to talk. First of all, I love you. You help put the words and ideas of thousands of authors right into my hands. Books have enriched
Happy Book Chocolate Cake Day!
Warning: The post is full of chocolatey-deliciousness and may therefore be bad for your waistline. You’ve been warned! Happy Book Chocolate Cake Day! Though I’ve talked to students about Book
Digital Bulletin Boards: 16 Ideas for Library Content
This post about Digital Library Bulletin Boards was originally published in 2015. Back then, I called them “Scrolling PowerPoints.” I know the sample slides are outdated, and they definitely do
Do you have a Wednesday dress?
How does my family know it’s a Wednesday? Because I’m wearing the Wednesday Dress. Yep, I wear the same dress every Wednesday. I’m not really sure how or why this
Library Lesson Idea: Lunchtime Kahoots
Our school is on a six-day rotating schedule. Every day–1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6–is a different schedule. On Day 4, I have been doing a “Day 4 Kahoot”