Earlier this school year, I interviewed Barry Wittenstein about his newest book, A Place to Land. In the interview, he shared stories about his use of primary sources in the research for his book and the role that they played… Read More ›
picture books
2019 Best Books Lists: A Chance to Discover Titles You May Have Missed
One of the things I look forward to every December is the release of all the “best books” lists. Like all librarians, I try to keep up with newly published titles throughout the year by reading professional review journals,… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Samuel Morse, That’s Who! By Tracy Nelson Maurer and El Primo Ramon
Traveling the world, becoming inspired, overcoming obstacles, and changing life as we know it all sound like parts of some amazing movie. They are also parts of the picture book story of Samual Morse, inventor of the telegraph and Morse… Read More ›
Get Ready for the Christmas Bird Count with These Books
The first Audubon Christmas Bird Count took place 119 years ago. The purpose of the event was to save birds from a hunting tradition. Hunters would gather on Christmas day to shoot as many birds as they could. The person… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Lines, Bars and Circles: How William Playfair Invented Graphs by Helaine Becker and Marie-Eve Tremblay
There are certainly historically based picture books about inventions that I’ve read before, but none may have surprised me more than Helaine Becker’s Lines, Bars and Circles. I had never attributed the creation of the line, bar, and circle graphs… Read More ›
Create Your Own Graph: A Math Collaboration in 5 Steps
Recently, a second-grade teacher and I had the opportunity to work together on a project in math. Her class was finishing a unit on graphing and I recommended the book The Great Graph Contest by Loreen Leedy. The book sparked… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Interview with Donna Janell Bowman, Author of King of the Tightrope
As we continue to explore picture book authors who utilize primary sources in their research, I was excited to interview Donna Janell Bowman who, in her newest book, writes about one of my favorite lesser-known historical figures, The Great Blondin…. Read More ›
Improve Visual Literacy Skills with Picture Books
Visual literacy is the ability to gather meaning from an image. It’s the practice of asking questions about what we see and why it matters. Giving learners opportunities to look closely at images will sharpen their critical thinking skills. Picture… Read More ›
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney and Peter M. Fiore
Last month I helped to give a workshop in Lexington, Kentucky, through a grant called Project CHARGE (Civics History through Advanced Research and Geography Education). Over five days, elementary and middle school teachers focused on mid-17th-century history through the adoption… Read More ›
Picture Books and Primary Sources: Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution. By Rob Sanders and Jamey Christoph
I am always glad when an anniversary of an event coincides with a historically based picture book. It adds a greater purpose to bring that book and event into student learning. This is the case with the upcoming 50th anniversary… Read More ›