Make YOUR Mark

Ever since I can remember, I've been a crier. As soon as the first tear would fall, my parents would run to get the bucket(s).  No joke. These days I cry at least once a day.  This morning I wasn't even out of bed before I needed my first of many, many Kleenex for the day.

This post is dedicated and in memory of, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a children's book author who we lost way too early. Ten days before Amy died, this Modern Love essay was published.  I don't usually read on the treadmill, but that day I happened to be and tears were flying to the people left and right of me. Warning: It's not for the faint of heart.   If you prefer audio, Debra Winger read it for the ML podcast here.

Why Amy? Well, today is her birthday making it the perfect day to share her books, especially Duck! Rabbit! with Tom Lichtenheld. My first real introduction to her work was in graduate school.  I was doing my student teaching and my cooperating teacher librarian gave me Duck! Rabbit! as a gift. Talk about a timely book--although all of Amy's books are--looking at the world through different perspectives.  Should we unpause? If so, when? How? What does that look like for you? Or me? My mom? My friend in California? My brother in Vermont? My cousins in Boston? Is it a duck or a rabbit?



We have so many of Amy's books in our library and fortuanately, many are available right now on Sora.

Like Spoon (with Scott Magoon).  At some point in our lives, we all get that inadequate feeling when we compare ourselves to others. (Stay away from Pinterest!).  Kids do, too.  Read this book together and talk about what makes us all unique and awesome. Then celebrate with a spoon party!  Take out as many different spoons you have in your house and eat as many different spoon-worthy foods with them. I might even try that=FUN!

Or the books where Amy played with numbers like Wumbers with Tom Lichtenheld?

And equations, like This Plus That:Life's Little Equations with Jen Corace:

I loved having kids come up with their own equations and putting them together for a class book. My life equation for today: taking a walk + students waving from me from afar = smiles to my face (oh and tears, but we won't tell them that!)

Or friends + shapes = Friendshape with Tom Lichtenheld?

How can you make stories out of shapes? Can you try it 3D with legos?

Amy's birthday will be over by the time I finish this post if I shout out every fabulous book of hers.  I will conclude with Exclamation Mark with Tom Lichtenheld since it's another one with a message I love (I know. I know. I really love the message in all of them.)  Check out this Reader's Theatre script.  Send the link to friends and family and you can act it out together virtually! (Exclamation mark typed on purpose, of course!)

And what's a birthday without a present.  Here's a bookmark PDF from Tom Lichtenheld.

So go ahead.  Whether you are a parent, a kid, a teacher remember you are unique and special however way you view things and you are making your mark on someone's life every.single.day.  Thanks for the reminder, Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  You definitely made your mark in our lives. xo

PS-Check out this post from 2017 when I pulled out Wumbers for Pi Day.

Happy Pi Day!

Thanks to Blizzard Stella, Pi Day will not be celebrated on its day at Castleton Elementary School this year.  Nevertheless, for the past week or so, the 5th grade Reading Ambassadors have been preparing for 3.14 by reading math picture books to K-2 students. Also, the 4th grade Dewey Duty helpers and Reading Ambassadors will enjoy pie, round treats, spin around in hoola hoops, watch this short PBS video and talk math in the library when we have our belated Pi Party on 3.15 or when the snow melts.

Who knew there were so many math picture books?

And there are way more than this!  These are just the ones I pulled in my own library. There are SO many more in the public library catalog.

Fifth Graders Reading to K-2

Mrs. Golden's first graders 

Mrs. Pryde's first graders

Mrs. Cook and Mrs. Macri's kindergarteners

Mrs. Roe and Mrs. Seres's second graders

Mrs. Kosinski's first graders

We wish we could have read to everyone but scheduling was tough and we're glad we were able to squeeze all these classes in!  One of our favorite books to read aloud was That's a Possibility: A Book About What Might Happen by Bruce Goldstone. I love it so much that I have two copies in the library!

I just received this book in my most recent Junior Library Guild box.  

 I've always loved this one combining math and cooking.  So logical!

Did you the first computer programmer lived many, many years before the Commodore 64? Another gem I received from JLG but would have definitely purchased on my own if I hadn't. It was even part of our Sibert Smackdown this year.

Lastly, a tribute 2 Amy Krouse Rosenthal.  Such a loss 2 the kidlit community.  My thoughts are with her family and close friends. I read her Modern Love essay on the treadmill a few weeks ago and just wept.

The kids wrote this review before we knew that Amy had passed.💔