Tag: teaching
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Book Review: Mayhem at the Museum by Hannah Bruckner
Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for the ARC of Mayhem at the Museum (September, 2025), a soon-to-be published children’s picture book. This delightfully illustrated picture book is the story of young Yuri who is terrified of birds. Okay, that’s fine. The story goes on, however, that Yuri is at a museum observing a…
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Book Review: Buzz! Boom! Bang! By Benjamin Gottwald
This delightful children’s picture book has no words, just beautiful and colorful illustrations. It is a master class in the literary device onomatopoeia. If I were still teaching middle school language arts, I would bring this book into my 7th and 8th grade literature classroom and have students sit in small groups to “read” it…
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First Quarter 2025 Reading Tally
I looked forward to several things as I approached retirement in January of 2024: more travel, get serious about writing my novel, reach out and reconnect with family and friends who live far from me, exercise more, and finally, but certainly not least, READ MORE. I believe I have indeed accomplished all of them, but…
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Book Review: Teacher Jitters by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by Judy Love
As a teacher for nearly 20 years, I can truly identify with the premise behind this soon to be published picture book titled Teacher Jitters (Charlesbridge, 2025) by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by Judy Love. Although this is part of The Jitter Series, it is my first read from this author and illustrator. I recall my…
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Book Review: Stemosaurus by Andrew Root, illustrated by Mark Chambers
Hmmm, let me see. What would happen if you combined the universally beloved topic of dinosaurs with something that is not always universally beloved? Something like…math? This is the premise behind Stemosaurus by Andrew Root and illustrated by Mark Chambers. I must admit my knowledge of dinosaurs is scarce, and I probably couldn’t name many…
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A Very Merry Bookmas!
It’s Christmas Day! I’ve had a wonderful Advent and now Christmas season with my family and close friends. It has to be the most relaxed Christmas I’ve ever had, having retired from teaching this January 12, 2024, I came into Advent this year without reams of papers to grade, midterms to create and then grade,…
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Book Review: Janie Writes a Play by Heidi E. Y. Stemple and illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight
For those of you who have been following my book reviews, this will be a bit different for you. Today I read a book to be published on February 11, 2025, a children’s picture book with only 40 pages, short paragraphs on each page, and bright, colorful illustrations on every page. This is a bit…
Michelle Blanchard Ardillo 