I was reading about the Chappaqua Children's Book Festival and read this reference to the Summer Reading Round-Up that I wrote for the July issue of Parenting magazine.  Surreal!



Happy reading,

Christine…

100 Best Children's Books of the Past 100 Years

September 30, 2013

Interested in flipping your classroom, but not really sure how to do it?  Want to incorporate more STEM topics into your teaching?  Wondering about the best practices for implementing the Common Core?  Discuss all of these topics and more with fellow educators during Connected Educator Month which starts tomorrow.

Happy reading,

Christine…

I saw this ad for curriculum writing for the k-12 market.  Good luck if you apply!

Happy reading and writing,

Christine

bookgirlblogger.blogspot.com

Hofstra University will be presenting poet, Philip Levine, and author Jennifer Egan as part of its Great Writers, Great Readings series.  Learn more about this series by clicking here.

Happy reading,

Christine…

This must have been my fantasy summer.  I'm usually not a fan of the fantasy genre, but this summer, many of the middle grade and young adult books that I read were fantasies.  And one of my favorite fantasies was Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh.

This Newbery winner is an enchanting tale and a great teaching tool for illustrating the importance of world-building in any novel.  This is a clear example of setting driving the story in much the same way that geography shapes…

Here is a post about an upcoming educational technology conference.  The principal hosting the conference was quoted last weekend in USA Weekend.  Read his tips for parents and visit his…

When speaking to your own children or students about the fiftieth anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech,  why not read Doreen Rappaport's, Martin's Big Words?

Happy reading,

Christine

bookgirlblogger.blogspot.com

The current issue of NEA Today features this cover story on zip codes and achievement gaps.  The focus on the educational inequalities in our country reminded me of my previous posts, A Tale of…

Having difficulty writing a character who is a different gender, race, or from a different culture than you?  The Highlights Foundation is offering a workshop on Writing Across Boundaries.  It sounds like a good one, so if you attend, comment here and let us know how it goes!

Happy reading and writing,

Christine…

Don't feel like leaving the house today?  You can stay in your pjs and get great writing tips over the next two days by participating in Writeoncon. 

Happy reading and writing,

Christine

bookgirlblogger.blogspot.com

Common Core Test Results

When I read that today was the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, I was reminded of the novel, The Buddha in the Attic, by Julie Otsuka.  This Pen Faulkner award winner follows the lives of Japanese women from their journey to San Francisco to become "picture brides" for strangers, to the internment of Japanese-Americans at the onset of World War II.

A friend and I read this book for…

My friend and mentor, Carol Varsalona sent me this interesting article on the importance of teachers reading to enhance their confidence in the classroom and their own personal well-being.  Check out other interesting teaching tidbits and facts on Carol's new blog, …

I just finished Write This Book, by Pseudonymous Bosch, author of the Secret Series.  While this was a fun book to read and write with my own kids, I don't know if it would be as much fun it you hadn't already read the Secret Series.   As I was reading it though, I kept thinking it would also make a great classroom tool.  So great in fact, that I am going to use…

Yesterday, I posted this about a publisher launching an imprint aimed at boys ages 9-14.  I also shared this info on an  educational website, School Leadership 2.0, where I received an interesting comment and follow-up email.  Both of which got me thinking about the kinds of books I recommend to reluctant readers who are boys, or to my girlfriends for their sons to read.

Starting with the most…

July 21, 2013

September 1, Enslow Publishing will launch a new imprint aimed at boys ages 9-14.  Read all about it here.

Happy reading,

Christine

bookgirlblogger.blogspot.com

July 20th is Moon Day in honor of the Apollo 11 mission that landed man on the moon.  Nearly everyone has some connection to that story.  Perhaps you have a relative  who worked on the lunar landing module, or perhaps you or a relative know exactly where you were at the time of the landing. 

A few summers ago, my kids and I were visiting a friend's summer rental on Fire Island, and a neighbor told us that when he was a kid he watched the landing in the very house my friend was…

July 17, 2013

Do you read aloud to your own children or students?  If so, I'd love to hear from you.  I'm currently researching read alouds for an upcoming article and your story could appear in a national magazine.  I'm especially interested in teachers or parents who continue the read aloud into upper elementary and middle school grades.  If you have a story you'd like to share, leave a comment here, or email me…