Children's Books

Greedy Apostrophe: A Cautionary Tale

By Jan Carr and illustrated by Ethan Long

Picture books about conventions are popping out all over. This new one by Carr and Long is a welcome addition to the collection since most students, regardless of age, have trouble with apostrophes. Emphasizing the use of apostrophes to show possessive not plural, readers will appreciate the humor that the author and illustrator bring to the reading. And at the end? A nice summary of rules for using apostrophes.

Nouns and Verbs Have a Field Day

By Robin Pulver and illustrated by Lynn Rowe Reed

By the author and illustrator of Punctuation Takes a Vacation, this funny story shows the use of nouns and verbs from the point of view of the words. The lively illustrations create energy and voice galore in this text, making it a pleasure to read aloud and discuss as you go.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

By Brian Selznick

I’m in love with this book. A cacophony of pictures and words the story unfolds magically, first through finely detailed pictures, then the addition of captions, paragraphs, and finally to whole pages of text. It gives the reader much to think about as the pages unfold on this amazing tale which is part mystery, part magic, part imagination. Go ahead, pick it up. Now, I dare you to put it down.

Teacher Books

Teaching Reading

By Laura Robb

Finally, the help that middle school teachers have been asking for. In this binder, Laura Robb captures the day to day elements of teaching reading. She gives teachers the exact lessons to use, overheads provided, too. From beginning to end, Robb coaches teachers to be specific in their intent, use high quality mentor texts, and differentiate texts so students can be successful. It’s evident from the contents of the binder that Robb really gets it. She’s given teachers the benefit of her 43 years of teaching in this masterful notebook. If you teach middle school, you need this binder. It should be a staple in every teacher’s classroom like the pencil sharpener or the tape dispenser. (Soon to have a new look, the binder will still have the same wonderful lessons and information.)

The Year of Magical Thinking

By Joan Didion

Since the death of my son, Sam, I am reluctant to read books, no matter how good, that focus on dying. This book is a wonderful exception. Honest to a fault, Didion gets inside life and death and shows in realistic detail, how it feels to be swept up in loss so great it is hard to wrap your head around it. Only a writer who pays attention to the smallest of details and can bring those observations into sharp focus to explain life could write such a book. It’s an important book, I think. Both a love story and story of loss, I’m drawn to the reoccurring theme of how quickly life can change. I am grateful to those who recommended it to me.