Author Archives

Tom Bober is a school librarian at RM Captain Elementary, 2018 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, former Teacher in Residence at the Library of Congress, and author of the upcoming book Elementary Educator's Guide to Primary Sources: Strategies for Teaching. He writes the Picture Books and Primary Sources posts for AASL’s KQ blog and has written articles for several publications. Tom also presents at conferences, runs workshops, and gives webinars to promote the use primary sources in student learning. He began his career as an elementary classroom teacher, was also an educational technologist, and has spent the last nine years as a school librarian.

• Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Anything But Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Hermann Queen of Magic by Mara Rockliff

  By Tom Bober on 06/20/2018 • ( 0 )

  

  A picture book often is a wonderful 32 pages with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. When picture books depict a historical event or individual, the story often does not stop there though. Primary sources can help students ground themselves… Read More ›

• Pairing Picture Books with Primary Sources: Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel

  By Tom Bober on 05/17/2018 • ( 0 )

  

  Reading picture books that focus on historical figures or events can be an opportunity to see how the author represented the focus of the book. Pairing that picture book with primary sources can help students explore how these people or… Read More ›

• Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey

  By Tom Bober on 04/17/2018 • ( 2 )

  

  Primary sources can give us a sense of time. Images and language that are from long ago can be brought to our attention by a photograph or letter. Primary sources can also give us a sense of place and connect… Read More ›

• Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Around America to Win the Vote by Mara Rockliff

  By Tom Bober on 03/20/2018 • ( 0 )

  

  A picture book focused on a historical event or person is special. It has a distinct beginning, middle, and end. At the same time, it makes you want to know more. That is exactly how I felt after reading Mara… Read More ›

• Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee!

  By Tom Bober on 02/21/2018 • ( 0 )

  

  As we work with written primary sources, we may ask students to identify the perspective of the author. What message is she trying to convey? How does he want the reader to react? We do not often do that with… Read More ›

• Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Earmuffs for Everyone! by Meghan McCarthy

  By Tom Bober on 01/19/2018 • ( 3 )

  

  The blast of cold weather in St. Louis led me to find all my winter gear. That reminded me of Meghan McCarthy’s book Earmuffs for Everyone. Reading the book led me on a hunt for primary sources in the form of… Read More ›

• Pairing Primary Sources and Picture Books: Dazzle Ships by Chris Barton

  By Tom Bober on 12/18/2017 • ( 1 )

  

  Picture books that share a moment in history can show us something that we have never seen before. They can make us wonder how an idea became a reality or how a problem was solved with tools of the day…. Read More ›

• Pairing Primary Sources and Picture Books: Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey

  By Tom Bober on 11/16/2017 • ( 0 )

  

  Earlier this school year, a high school librarian contacted me about how her students could interact with primary sources. Specifically, students were looking at photos of artifacts left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Students were encouraged to… Read More ›

• Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers

  By Tom Bober on 10/19/2017 • ( 2 )

  

  Dave Eggers’ new book, Her Right Foot, ends with a message of freedom, acceptance, and welcoming. It begins with a history lesson. Many interesting pieces of history about the Statue of Liberty, likely at least one that you did not… Read More ›

• Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: Dangerous Jane by Suzanne Slade

  By Tom Bober on 09/20/2017 • ( 0 )

  

  There are great nonfiction stories that show the growth of a character and then there are great stories that show the resolute nature of a character when people change around her. The latter is what drew me to the picture… Read More ›