My Dog Just Speaks Spanish
by Andrea Cáceres
When Aurora moves to the United States, she learns English. But Nena the dog does not learn English! Aurora has to give Nena commands in Spanish so that the dog can understand. All the other dogs at the park obey English commands, and only Nena needs to hear “fetch” in Spanish. But Aurora doesn’t mind. She has fun teaching their new friends how to give commands in Spanish, so that they can all play with Nena!
Continue reading
The Night the Stars Went Missing
by Arthur J. Gonzalez (Goodreads Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars
One night the stars disappear, and Winston asks the moon what is going on. The moon says that the stars are all hiding because they are afraid. Winston climbs into the sky and walks among the clouds to see if he can find the stars. One little star falls into the cloud, and leads Winston to the hiding place where the other stars have congregated. The stars tell Winston that they are distressed by all the pollution on Earth, so he promises that he will help to clean up the Earth. He returns to Earth and rallies all his friends and neighbors to clean up trash and plant trees. The next night, the stars have returned, knowing that Winston and others like him will keep their promise.
My Piano
by Jen Fier Jasinski (Goodreads Author), Anita Bagdi (Illustrator)
4.5 out of 5 stars
A little girl prepares for her recital. She explains to the reader about all the different parts of the piano in a sing-song rhyme. We learn about the frame and strings inside the piano, and how the pedal controls the dampers, and how the keys control the hammers which strike the strings. When it’s time for the recital, the little girl is nervous, but she takes a deep breath and focuses on her music. She shares the beautiful rhythms and cadences with her listeners. The music flows out of her instrument, and there is thunderous applause!
The Box
by Isabella Paglia, Paolo Proietti (Illustrator), Laura Watkinson (Translator)
A box is left in the forest and it seems there is someone inside. The animals invite whoever-it-is to come out and join them, but the animal inside the box shouts out, “No!” So the forest animals take a step back and try to think of ways to make whoever-it-is feel welcome. They have a circus show with music. They host a picnic. But whoever-it-is will not come out. Gently, the animals show their care and friendliness. And when whoever-it-is feels safe and welcome, they finally come out.
Continue reading
Teaching Is a Work of Heart: A Sticker Appreciation Book for Teachers Who Make the World a Better Place
by Christine Lee
This book has dozens of pages full of stickers for teachers! There are 650 stickers of all kinds about teaching and education. My favorite is the one that says “Don’t Lick the Desk”. Been there. haha!
I am just amazed at the variety of stickers in this book! And so many of them have cool sayings like, “Never Getting That Pencil Back”, “Don’t Make Me Use My Teacher Voice”, “Tea Then Teach”, and a whole bunch more. These stickers could apply to almost any educational situation. There are stickers for planners, for students, for fellow teachers, for coffee, and for TGIF. There’s even a sticker that reminds you to drink water.
Continue reading
Learn by Sticker: Beginning Phonics: Use Phonics to Create 10 Friendly Monsters! (Learn by Sticker, 2)
by Workman Publishing
This activity book has 10 cute monster designs, and hundreds of stickers in little mosaic shapes! It’s so easy to put the stickers into place, and the finished product looks wonderful. In order to figure out where to put each sticker, you have to complete a phonics word and match the picture to the word. It’s perfect for young students to get more confident with their reading! The student will really feel a sense of accomplishment when they finish!
Continue reading
The Ogress and the Orphans
by Kelly Barnhill (Goodreads Author)
When an ogress moves in just outside of town, the townspeople begin to blame her for everything that has gone wrong for years, even before she arrived! Their bad luck had all started years before when the Library had burned down. Thank goodness for their wonderful Mayor who is working to restore the town and get rid of the Ogress. But there are a few children in the orphanage who begin to wonder if the Mayor is really so wonderful and if the Ogress is really so evil. Anthea is good at problem-solving. Bartleby is a philosopher who asks the hard questions, and his sister Cass is quiet but brave. These three children look at their crumbling town and decide to finally do something to help.
Continue reading
Little Town on the Prairie (Little House, #7)
by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Garth Williams (Illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars
This book has always been one of my favorites of the Little House series, because it focuses a lot on Laura’s schooling. I’m a teacher, so stories about school are very near to my heart. Laura is studying to be a teacher, so that she can make some money to help her sister Mary stay in college.
Continue reading
Marilla of Green Gables
by Sarah McCoy (Goodreads Author)
Marilla is growing up on the Avonlea farm before the gables were ever built or painted green. Her family are excited for a new baby to arrive soon, and Marilla’s aunt arrives to help out. But Marilla is unsure about these new additions to the family. Will it change their peaceful lives to have their aunt taking over the kitchen? Marilla is also determined to keep homeschooling and studying so that she can pass the examinations to finish school. She is needed at home to help her mother, so she can’t attend school, but a neighbor boy, John Blythe, agrees to tutor her after school and help her pass her exams. There is a flirtation with John Blythe, but all that changes when disaster strikes the Cuthbert family.
Continue reading
Where’s the Bunny?
by Ingela P. Arrhenius (illustrator)
5 out of 5 stars
This adorable board book asks the reader to find different animals at spring time, and the baby must lift a flap of felt fabric to reveal the missing creature! You have to find a puppy, a mouse, a duck, and a bunny. At the end of the book, the reader lifts the flap to find themselves reflected in a little mirror!
Continue reading
Luminous Libro 