Unexected Makerspace Moments

This week I held our last schoolwide Makerspace for the year. It had been a busy week, so I didn't have much energy left to plan everything out perfectly, so instead, I simply gathered materials (which does take a lot of time!), some recent purchases, and opened the space.

To backtrack, when I posted my plans the previous day, one librarian asked what we were making. I replied, "I'm not sure! Whatever my students come up with!" I truly never know what they will make, and for me, that is the magic of it. Little did I know that this would truly happen!

In the middle of the hour, with a great showing of students from all grade levels working hard and having fun, three students walked in and joined us. I welcome them and told them I was happy to see them. They gathered a box and various other items from my supply table (I have had to move from a cart because we've outgrown it), and quickly engaged in a planning conversation.

After awhile, they called me over for help with something. That's when I started to interact with them in conversation, hoping to inspire more!

The final product was a Starbucks order just for me! The red Valentine heart box (recyclable materials I receive as donations to my Makerspace from teachers) contains crayon bits that represent chocolate. The green pieces are donuts (these were leftover dots from Dot Day that they cut a hole in the middle of). The red pieces are sprinkles made from cotton swabs -- painted with markers! 

The coffee cup is made from that corrugated paper separator used in chocolate candy boxes. The cardboard box contains my entire order!

When they were done, the students even created a receipt for me, complete with a barcode. When I asked about a teacher discount, they applied it. But I still "owed" $7 in our pretend purchase. :-) (This is where play comes in. See below.)*

I had such fun watching this making and interacting with the students as they planned and constructed. They enjoyed presenting it to me, and we even shared it on our morning announcements. 

What did I learn from this?

That beautiful moments happen in your library every day and you can see them if you're paying attention! 

That Makerspace isn't about the materials the students are using, but what they intend the product to be and, more importantly, the imagination they use to create the product in the first place! 

That play is an important part of makerspace!* For kids of all ages! 

What a great end to my Makerspace year! Can't wait to see what we come up with next year! 

Poetry Makerspace Challenge

On Fridays, I bring out the Mobile Makerspace cart during our weekly Genius Hour. Wonderfully decorated by one of my amazing parent volunteers, the cart is stocked with a variety of materials for student use. (Read more about it here.)

Since beginning my Makerspace in 2014, the materials have varied and so have the products. But the products are rarely the focus -- Mostly, it is about the act of creating. It is about the thinking, the problem-solving, and the planning. 

Some students participate each and every week. Some come to try it out once a month or so, curious about what is available.  They are usually ready for any project, and sometimes work together in pairs -- which is fabulous! 

Last Friday, because it IS April,  I decided to incorporate a challenge and bring in some poetry. 

I glanced  at my poetry collection and found the perfect book: 

This picture book is a collection of poems about cars -- cars that are inventive, fun, and wacky, such as the "Bathtub Limousine" or the "High Heel Car". (The illustrations are so engaging, too!)

It occurred to me that this was just the right book to tie in with Makerspace. 

I first read some of the poems to the group who showed up to participate. (The poems are lively  so I really enjoyed sharing them!) I showed them the illustrations for the rest of the poems, then had them begin, and they got right to building. Since this was not their first time at Makerspace, they were already familiar with my two main expectations: 

(1) Clean up after yourself.

(2) Take your project home with you. :-)

Here are some of the cars that were built. (I've been collecting cardboard tubes and boxes, so almost all of the project involved these materials!) 

This car had a popsicle stick driver -- painted with a yellow marker and a smile.

This car has cup holders cut from an egg carton. 

This vehicle has headlights and seating for eight passengers! There is also a license plate on the front! 

This learner created a "caterpillar cab" and began writing a poem. 

Because most of the time was spent building the cars, there wasn't enough time to finish the poetry. So, everyone took their cars back to their classroom and worked on the poetry during their writing time. 

Overall, I think this challenge worked out very well! I'll continue to incorporate books with Makerspace making sure that the project always remains open-ended and fun! 

St. Patrick's Day Makerspace Challenge

 We weren't in school on St. Patrick's Day, so I decided to bring in some of the "green" on the Friday before Spring Break. I thought it would be a great tie-in with our #Makerspace.

I started with a book -- of course!

Fleiss, Sue. How to Trap a Leprechaun. Illus. by Emma Randall. New York: Sky Pony, 2017.

This one was a quick and delightful read-aloud, showing the story of four kids working together to build a leprechaun trap in hopes of being granted a big wish! I loved the planning and persistence.  One of the kids draws a sketch, and I especially appreciated this detail in the book because I always have our makers draw out their plan before building. Together, the kids collaborate to carry out the plan, taking out gold paint for their rocks, and listing (poetically) materials one might need. Also, when I read the book in my library, I asked readers to notice all of the rainbows. I think there was one on every page!


I also created this simple Google slide on a presentation I carry over each week. I started the presentation on our first day of makerspace explaining norms, reminders, and ways to use materials, etc. It is a reminder to me of everything we have done throughout the year. (I know the slide is not too elaborate. But it's just enough!)

I laid out materials on tables: pipe cleaners, cardboard, paper, straws, ribbons, stickers, masking tape. Normally, I have a cart for this, but I wanted to give room for everyone to come take what they needed. 

Here are a few of the traps they created! 

As you can see, our learners made some elaborate traps! One of them had a lid that was pulled down with a ribbon. Each learner explained their trap to the group or to me, and their thinking was absolutely amazing! They used the materials to represent devices and parts, and their was NO shortage of imagination here. 

I will definitely repeat this one next year and add another facet to it to make it better. 

Now on to the next Makerspace this Friday. I am so excited to see what our makers make next! 

Need an idea for a St. Patrick's Day book display? Click here. 

GARBAGE ISLAND by Fred Koehler

Today, I am pleased to to be a part of a blog tour with Boyds Mills Press. The featured book: Garbage Island by Fred Koehler. 

Koehler, Fred, Garbage Island: The Nearly Always Perilous Adventures of Archibald Shrew #1) . Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2018. Print. 

Garbage Island is set within the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a mass of debris floating in the Pacific Ocean. I learned more about this by reading this article from National Geographic. I love that author Fred Koehler is bringing attention to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by imagining a story within it. A very clever premise! 

The two main characters in the novel, a shrew named Archie and a mouse named Mr. Popli, have a complicated past. Mr. Popli is the noble leader of their island kingdom, and Archibald is always trying his patience. Archie loves making and inventing, and much of the reason the kingdom has survived is due to his craftiness! Perhaps this is what endeared Archie to this makerspace librarian the most: this shrew is a MAKER! He uses the debris to "patch" things up and protect the kingdom, and he can't stop thinking about ways to put things together or use things in a new way. 

But Archie and Mr. Popli don't get along, and one day they find themselves out on the ocean alone -- forced now to find their way back to the island together. They encounter MANY fast-paced adventures along the way. Like me, readers will be at the edge of their seats at the end of nearly every chapter, turning pages to see if how Mr. Popli and Archie get out of their seemingly impossible predicaments. (Note: while I did connect with Archie, I understood Mr. Popli's frustration with him: Archie's wonderings often lead to trouble and catastrophes!)

The plot of this novel is complex and exciting, laden with action and dialogue that will work a reader's imagination. Sentences are filled with rich vocabulary, setting each scene descriptively. Fred Koehler's compelling black and white illustrations also tell the story. (See the wrap-around cover when you get a copy of the book!) 

A snake named Colubra serves as the main enemy, but a relentless squad of spiders prove to be most formidable as well. And don't count out the shark! 

As I began to read this book, it brought another book to mind: The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden, one of my most favorite books as a child. Both are about animals who have created their own existences within and adjusting to - a world altered by man. 

Garbage Island is also a story of friendship -- and accepting each other's weaknesses as much as their strengths. 

I look forward to rereading Garbage Island at some point, and also to continuing the saga with Book #2.

I am also thinking of some makerspace activities to bring out when I recommend this book to readers. (I took notes on this as I read the book!) 

For more about this book, make sure to visit the other blogs on the tour! 

Many thanks to Boyds Mills Press for including me here! 

Bio of Fred Koehler provided by Boyds Mills: 

Fred Koehler won a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Award for his illustrations for One Day, The End. He is the author-illustrator of How To Cheer Up Dad, which received three starred reviews, and he is the illustrator of This Book Is Not About Dragons and Puppy, Puppy, Puppy and Flashlight Night.  He lives with his children in Lakeland, Florida. 

School Library Month 2018

April is very special month for school librarians! It is officially School Library Month, AASL's initiative to celebrate school libraries and librarians. This year, I was fortunate enough to serve on the SLM committee along with some amazing fellow librarians! What an enriching experience it has been! I have learned so much from them.

If you're a school librarian and you're not sure how to celebrate, check the website here. You'll find a calendar of suggested activities, social media graphics, templates, and more. Look for the PSA by our School Library Month spokesperson, award-winning author Jason Reynolds. Watch it and be inspired! It definitely makes me tear up every time I watch it!

And do not worry! Participating in School Library Month doesn't mean you have to do anything extra or anything complicated! Just share out the amazing things you are already doing! Share what you have to offer with your school and stakeholders. Connect your library with your community! If you tweet, don't forget to use the official hashtags of #AASLslm and #slm18. By doing so, you give other librarians (including me) the benefit of your experience and you share your ideas with us! We will learn from each other!

Speaking of connecting, that is the theme for this year's celebration: MAKING CONNECTIONS. Each week there will be a different sub-theme for connecting: connecting learners, connecting educators, connecting with your community, and connecting globally. There are so many ways we can connect our libraries!

How will I celebrate? Because the theme of this week is Connecting Learners, I am offering Makerspace Monday as a way of kicking off School Library Month. With classes visiting the library, and walk-ins popping in all day, the library will definitely be buzzing (I hope!) Normally, we have Makerspace during Genius Hour on Fridays, but I am testing this out to see how it goes.

I then continue the week by attending the Texas Library Association's Annual Conference! I'm also  presenting at Tech Camp with my fellow district librarians. As I connect with my fellow Texas librarians, I become a better one myself.

In writing this post, I remembered something. When I first became a school librarian and learned about School Library Month, I tried to always participate in some way! I made sure to tweet and check the calendar, putting up book displays, etc.  (One year I put up a special banner in the hallway where learners could post cut-out hearts sharing why they loved the library.) I never could have imagined that I would one day serve on the School Library Month Committee, but this year I am doing just that, and I am so grateful for the opportunity. It goes to show that when you love what you do, you never know where you will go!

I highly encourage school librarians to join AASL and to volunteer to serve on a committee!

And I wish all of my fellow school librarians a wonderful School Library Month!

Gratefully,
Cynthia

Makerspace Begins in the Library

Beginning a Makerspace in our library has been a goal of mine for awhile. I'd had the start of one here and there with minor efforts, but after reading about other makerspaces and the possibilities, I knew I wanted to try something more substantial. I worried about the details. What if I didn't have everything? What if I did it wrong?

I decided to just start it and go from there. This is part of my learning this year.

I knew that with the way our library is used every day, putting out all the materials all day long  every day wouldn't work. Just about every grade level visits every day (either in classes or individually), and the space is used in so many ways (collaboration, writing, research, and so on). So, instead I put everything (cardboard, tape, paper, how-to-books, origami stuff, etc.)  on a library cart. I figured I could wheel it out whenever I wanted to, and then wheel it back in the back room anytime. But the cart didn't exactly look very nice.  Scratches, tape residue, and the effects of wear and tear definitely made it not so appealing.  Thankfully, my parent volunteer repurposed it and made the cart look a million times better!  Here's what it looks like now.

This is one side. I love the tape dispenser that happily hands out duct tape or wasabi tape.  

This is the other side. We have cardboard, pipe cleaners, beads, etc. 

This part is my favorite. 

This was beyond what I expected! (Orange is my favorite color by the way.) My volunteer did an amazing job, even stocking the cart with other items, and attaching curtain rods for the tape! She  put side holders for craft books and origami instructions.

I couldn't wait to wheel it out!

I knew that Genius Hour would be the perfect time to bring out the cart. During this time, students are engaged in projects individually or in groups, pursuing topics of interest. Many of them visit the library to do their work, browse, or read.  As soon as Genius Hour began, I put out a sign, placed baskets on the table, and then stood back and watched. Some walked over to the materials, picking things up, and then looking around. They read the sign and some got started. Some felt very comfortable in just trying something out. Others needed to see someone else get started. Eventually everyone started working on something.

It was a busy, bustling hour. Our students were completely engaged. Based on their questions about materials, and my own observations, I can see what I need to have for next time.

It was really wonderful to see the items they created, and to hear them think aloud.

After it was over, I was so glad that I just got started. I realized that our learners would show me everything I needed to know, and that as long as I was giving them space and materials they needed, and the opportunity to to create, everything WOULD be perfect.

BEASTLY BIONICS: RAD ROBOTS, BRILLIANT BIOMIMICRY, AND INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS INSPIRED BY NATURE by Jennifer Swanson

BEASTLY BIONICS: RAD ROBOTS, BRILLIANT BIOMIMICRY, AND INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS INSPIRED BY NATURE by Jennifer Swanson

Publisher: National Geographic Kids

Release date: June 23, 2020

I first heard of Jen Swanson in Arizona at the Tucson Festival of Books when she presented in a panel with author Jason Chin and several other kidlit creators.  Her work has been on my radar ever since because I was fascinated with her research process, and I loved her enthusiasm for science! I also have many avid nonfiction readers in my library and I'm always looking for new books to bring to them. (Hint: I've found another one to share and that's what this post is about!)

Nonfiction author panel at the Tucson Festival of Books, 2018 

Jen Swanson is an award-winning nonfiction author (and middle school science instructor), and her latest book is an explanation and exploration of the concepts of biomimicry and bionics. In her latest books Beastly Bionics (National Geographic Kids, 2020) Swanson demonstrates how inventors and scientists are inspired by animals to solve real-world problems, ease everyday tasks, help us use energy more efficiently, and heal and protect humans. 

The book's format includes the pairing of a real-life "Design Dilemma" with a "Building Bionics" text column- offering a solution, either in the works or in the beginning planning stages. Page by page, and animal by animal, Swanson explains (with clarity), how scientists, engineers and other innovators are working to make our lives better. How can a butterfly's wings help the world? What about an elephant's trunk? How can a slug offer ideas for designing better stitches and bandages? All very fascinating! (*One of my favorite pages: "Solar-Powered Butterflies"!) 

Eye-catching photos on double-page spreads add appeal and work smoothly hand-in-hand with the text. Although the book is cohesively organized in neat chapters, each stands alone - allowing readers to open up to any section and still enjoy the experience. (This aspect of nonfiction is particularly appealing to the readers in my library.) 

Whenever I read a children's book, I always think about what I will tell our teachers about it. Here's a part of what I will say:

Teachers in search of nonfiction text features will be happy to find bold words in in different colors, clever titles and labels, standout fonts, informative diagrams, and text-rich captions. Although a short glossary is included in the back matter, readers can find new vocabulary throughout the text- and low-key opportunities for use of context clues. Beastly Bionics will - no doubt --also inspire inquiry and research. And, indeed, the reading of this book will inspire the reading of so many others! I want to read more about ALL of these animals! 

ALSO: Animals have inspired art, poetry, stories, and songs. To know that they also inspire science and innovation will cause young readers to appreciate and love animals even more! 

Finally, as a maker librarian, I can see SO many applications for Makerspace here -- with students creating their own inventions or replicating those in the book. We may not have the equipment the scientist and engineers have, but the makers in our library can do amazing things with cardboard tubes, straws, and foil! I can see it all now! 

If you'd like to learn more about the book, visit here. 

AASL's Social Media Superstars Finalists

A school librarian's day always holds a few surprises! Sometimes it's a change in the schedule! Sometimes it's an unexpected book delivery! Whatever it may be, librarians are always ready! 

Recently, I enjoyed a surprise myself! I was honored to hear that I was one of three finalists in a new recognition program with AASL! 

This news today made me reflect about my membership in AASL. No doubt, joining a professional association as a librarian is a smart thing to do --especially one with such amazing resources and offerings! I know that being connected to a group that shares and learns together makes me a better librarian. I read the publications and posts and refer to them often during the week. Someone is always sharing their ideas and new ventures, and I am inspired to do the same! In fact, this is how my makerspace came about! 

Even though they are not in my building or even in my state, I learn so much from my fellow school librarians with whom I am connected. Are you connected? If not don't wait any longer! 

There are seven categories of finalist in the AASL program! I was named in the Curriculum Champion category. Make sure you check out all of the finalists in all of the categories, and if they have inspired you, please leave a comment for them! These comments and testimonials will be accepted from the public and the school library community until April 14th! I hope you will go through the list of finalists and add them to your PLN, too! 

AASL Social Media Superstars Finalists 

I celebrate all school librarians today and learn alongside you! I especially want to give a shout out to my fellow #cisdlib in my district and my #txlchat librarians in my state! They are each my teachers every day! 

May your day be full of lovely surprises, too! And many book deliveries! 

Ending the Year: Beginning A New One

From a banner my students gave me for Librarian Appreciation Week 

On our final day of school last week, our campus was a buzzing place. Teachers saying goodbye to their classes. Staff members preparing to move out of one classroom and into another. Some teachers wrapping up long, successful education careers as they started their retirement.

For me, it meant checking in teacher materials and continuing to take inventory(-ies). It meant cleaning up my makerspace cart. Definitely lots to do. At the same time, I was also shuffling books into sections and trading out shelves in hopes of making more room and granting easier access to readers for the coming year. (Thankfully, I had two volunteers to help.)

Yes, I had many items on my to-do list that day. And as I was trying to cross one off with a trip down a hallway, I came upon two 5th graders, feeling sad about leaving elementary school.  As they saw me, their eyes lit up -- both with tears and joy. With wonderful energy (spoken with a bit of sadness in their voice) the two girls told me just how much they loved reading and books. Of course they already knew I felt the same way. And then they both made sure I knew how important libraries were. (I listened to every word, thankful that I had walked this particular hallway.) It was a glorious rush of conversation and excited statements all to the tune of "The library is the best place ever!"  And we were all sharing our love of libraries by the end. I can't remember every word, but looking back now, I think about how I had just heard the best library advocacy speech.

We all vowed to visit the library that summer and read many, many books! Then we said goodbye, knowing that libraries and books connected us, even if we would never be in the same building again.

And looking back now, a week later, I can see that having that particular conversation was the best way to both end the year and begin a new one. It reminded me of what the library did for me as a child (I probably would have given the same speech then if I'd been asked), and what I want libraries to mean for every learner. Everywhere.

Busy Weeks, A Few Books

Beginning-of-the-year and Book Fair have kept me fairly busy lately, so blogging has been last on my priority list. But I have missed it very much. I miss the reflection and the feeling of accomplishment that blogging provides. So with this post I hope to get back in the routine.

I'll start by posting some titles I've been reading lately -- no reviews, just my thoughts:

Middle grade:

Did you love Holms' TURTLE IN PARADISE as much as I did? If so, then you must read FULL OF BEANS which takes us back to this world and introduces us to Turtle's cousin Beans. 

I read this one on a return flight, and was completely swept away in this touching story of a girl and a dog both looking for a home -- both needing one another. Grab your box of tissues before reading! 

Two things attracted me to this title: the fact that Gordon Korman wrote it and the cover. In this book, a boy obsessed with video games goes too far in his singular focus on playing his favorite game and he must cope with the consequences. Great storyline filled with unexpected events! 

I always enjoy reading Byron Barton's picture books -- I love their simplicity, vividness and use of scale. This one is a bilingual book and has a funny twist at the end. 

Recently I tried a new recipe for the second time. It still wasn't great-tasting. But because I read The Cranky Ballerina, I realize that this is okay. I am a better reader than I am a cook. This one's about finding your passion and how when we are doing what we love, we are truly happier.



In my library, I am getting back to my regular schedule after book fair wrapped up last week. This week I will review book care, procedures, and talk about finding books that are "just right" for independent reading. I also plan to get library centers and Makerspace started.

What books are you reading and what are you focusing on in your library?

October in the Library

How is it already November? Is that a question you are asking yourself, too?

Looking back at October:

We celebrated Halloween by reading Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown. We decorated the library with creepy carrots and I incorporated it in Makerspace, too - creating fences to contain the carrots.

We also read Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Kindergarten enjoyed this quiet book, and it fit in well with their harvest of our school garden.

Whether they are new books or not, once you find a good Halloween/pumpkin/October book, you stick with it! Another new Halloween book I enjoyed was Herbert's First Halloween. 

I also really appreciated this board book from Abrams! The pictures change as you turn the pages! 

Now I am already thinking about decorating for the holidays. Will I put out any turkey decorations? I will probably have students make some in centers this week. 

Another week begins tomorrow! Hope it is a good on in your classroom or library! 

Maker Memories

School just ended a few weeks ago, and I'm happily working in my library at my new school. Yes, the end of the year came and went by so quickly. Now as I have time to process, I am able to look back at one of the activities we did in fourth grade the last week of school.

I've been learning about makerspaces from Twitter lately. (Read about  Maker Faire here.) I define it as that intellectual place where we create and play! Those are two things children love to do.

I wanted to see what this was like with students, so we had our own Maker Day with our fourth grade classes. We asked students to bring in items from home to create a product of some kind that they could share with others. (Since we were working on a recycling unit, we asked them to bring recyclable items. We provided other common items, the space, lots of facilitation and a little help here and there!)

We took the morning and some of the afternoon for the "make".  I watched students plan, think, and execute their visions. Some got midway through something and then changed it all. Some had a clear idea from the beginning. Others waited for the idea to come. But by the last hour, everyone had created something. At the end of day, we cleaned up, and had students rotate through classrooms to view everyone's work.

Here are some of the things my students made: (I created this pic using PicPlayPost -- an app I found thanks to my friend Tony Vincent .)

 

Don't you love these creations? I do! These wonderful items started out as cardboard and construction paper! I wish I could post all of the pics here. As we visited with each student, they told us about how they created their "make" and their thinking process. It was so wonderful to hear this part! Most said they just tried things out, or that they got inspired by something they saw in the classroom.

 

I don't know if I implemented this idea perfectly, but I know our fourth graders had wonderful time creating things, and that I want to explore this more.  I just ordered a book that you can see here, and I hope to incorporate it into my library in the coming year. I'm also participating in a book study this summer to learn all about it.

 

In developing my values as a librarian, I believe in my heart that the library should be a place where students create, think, and share!!

 

I've started a Pinterest board to share my makerspace finds! You can access it here .

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I've Been Reading. . . Lately

We are more than halfway through January, and I am putting away the snowman decorations in the library. I am getting ready for February displays, pulling fairy tale and rock books, and implementing Makerspace once a week during Genius Hour. It's really busy, and I have to keep track with TWO Happy Planners (one for me and one for the library). 

Throughout it all, I am always reading (of course)! These are the titles I have been reading and I am grateful to their publishers for sharing them with me. 

The Books: 

Thank you, Workman Publishing, for this nonfiction book that comes complete with a kit to help solve a mystery! (Did I mention this was a TRUE story?) 

Thank you, Little Brown, for sending Sophie Blackall's upcoming picture book Hello Lighthouse (which publishes in April). Her art is absolutely stunning!! 

Thank you, Peachtree Publishing, for sending Leslie Bulion's upcoming Leaf Litter Critters -- a collection of poems about decomposers! I am reading it now! This one publishes in March. 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me the ARC of Avi's The Player King (which is out now). Very suspenseful and based on a true story! 

I read the ARC of Tumble & Blue by Cassie Beasley (Thank you, Penguin Kids!) but this one is already out in stores now. I just finished this one and will be rereding the last chapters tomorrow to make sure I caught everything! 

I am happy to share these titles here on my blog! I am still processing thoughts on each of these, and will no doubt share more about them in the upcoming weeks. 

THE SHOES: 

Today I wore a pair of booties by Sugar. The style is very similar to this one. They are super comfortable and go perfectly with leggings!

Spring Break and a Few Books

Yes, it is Spring Break here and March seems like it should be a long way away but it isn't! It is here! It is almost gone, actually! 

As a reader, I really enjoy Spring Break because it gives me a chance to "breathe" with my to-read stack! What I mean by that is that I have time to carefully choose what I want to read, and, more importantly, the time to truly get into the book without feeling like I have to rush off and get something done. 

As a busy librarian, I enjoy Spring Break because it give me a chance to work on house things again and declutter. I've been doing some of that this week! Especially with my books! 

Even so, my Spring Break is coming to it end,  and before it does, I thought I would share what I the books I've read recently:

If you've also read Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? also by Tanya Lee Stone, you will know why I appreciate this book. It tells the story of Ada Lovelace so well, and paired with Marjorie Priceman's dream-like art, the whole thing is a treat to read. This nonfiction picture book will inspire future coders and programmers -- really, all innovators!

The Little Red Fort has a release date of 3/27/18, but it was at my recent Scholastic Book Fair so I had a chance to read it (and share it). This picture book made me think of the Little Red Hen because it's about a sister who builds a treehouse while her brothers watch. Lots of STEM and Makerspace possibilities here, and I appreciate the main character Ruby so much because she doesn't listen when someone tells her she can't do something. Again, another book that will inspire anyone who creates! 

Matthew Cordell just won the Caldecott for Wolf in the Snow, so it was so lovely to receive this latest picture book he's illustrated. Actor Peter Hermann is the author, and it appeals to my love of poetry. It's an alphabet book like no other. Truly, it is a story told through mini-word puzzles that flow along nicely. I read it to myself this week and can't wait to read it to a class! I had fun trying to figure out what the next page would say! 

When I first opened this and read through it, I immediately thought about what a fabulous idea it was for a book. Using the most eye-catching and vivid photographs, April Pulley Sayre writes a thank-you letter to Earth. Each photograph, subject, and spread could ignite a fabulous conversation with learners and compel further research. Perfect for Earth Day, Poetry Month, or any other day! Check out her other books here. (My other two favorite April Pulley Sayre books are Best in Snow and Full of Fall.) 

Here's what I am currently reading: 

Here are some of the books I've received lately that I will be reading soon! 

Now for the shoes! 

I've been reading in the morning each day of my Spring Break, but while running errands, I always reach for my white Converse! Perfect with leggings and a book-ish t-shirt! 

What did you read during your Spring Break? What are you reading now?