If you love to read…thank a teacher.
If you can write an essay…thank a teacher.
If you can read a map…thank a teacher.
If you learned a second language…thank a teacher.
If you think outside the box…thank a teacher.
These are the opening screens on the NEA website for National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4-10, 2014. It prompts their Thank a Teacher theme for this year’s celebration. Across the country PTA/PTO groups, community groups, businesses, organizations, and families might take a moment to reflect and consider the contributions of dedicated teachers that have touched their lives and the lives of so many. The Children’s Literature and Read SIG (Special Interest Group) has collected a group of newly or soon-to-be published books for this week’s column on teachers and classrooms.
Grades K-2
Andrews, Julie and Emma Walton Hamilton. (2014). The very fairy princess: graduation girl! Illus. by Christine Davenier. Boston, MA: Little Brown and Company.
This new title in the Very Fairy Princess series is perfect for that last day of school when young children are a bit sad to leave the teacher they have come to love through the school year. Very Fairy Princess Gerry is cleaning out her cubby with a sad heart knowing she has to say goodbye to Houdini, the class pet hamster, but even worse, her wonderful teacher, Miss Pym. Knowing she has to rebuild all the new relationships in the fall and the coming school year, will her new teacher understand her wings and crown? Change is difficult but it can also be full of wondrous surprises that await! For downloads of activities, e-cards and other resources visit the author’s home page or this activity page.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Bottner, Barbara. (2014). Miss Brooks’ story nook. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. (Release date: August 5, 2014)
The companion to Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I Don’t) this time takes readers to the library. Missy enjoys going to the before-school story time that Miss Brooks offers to students. However, to get to Story Nook, Missy has to walk by Billy Toomey’s house, and she does not like this at all. Billy continually steals her hat and jumps out and yells, “I am going to get you!” One morning Miss Brooks changes the story time routine to a moment where everyone can tell their own story. Missy gets a clever idea on how to turn the tables on her bully nemesis through story she tells. Teachers will enjoy sharing this short video interview with the author in time for Children’s Book Week.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Brown, Peter. (2014). My teacher is a monster! (No, I am not.) Boston, MA: Little Brown Books for Youth. (Release date: July 1, 2014)
Peter Brown’s dedication page is a “must read” for teachers to begin this book: “To misunderstood teachers and their misunderstood students.” Young Bobby threw a paper airplane in class, and his teacher, Ms. Kirby, caught him and took away recess time. Bobby rants about the monster that she is, and Brown’s vivid illustrations portray the teacher as that colorful monster Bobby describes. To vent his frustrations Bobby goes to the park where he often goes to run and play and romp. This has become his refuge from school. One day, however, he runs right into Ms. Kirby at the park. His park! When the wind blows her hat right off her head, Bobby catches it before it lands in the pond. Ms. Kirby is so grateful that she and Bobby begin a rather forced conversation. With dramatic pauses and a struggle for conversation, they begin to share their favorite parts of the park and an entirely new relationship is formed. Brown’s illustrations change, soften and melt away the hard features of the Monster and transform Ms. Kirby into a young caring teacher. Visit the Peter Brown Studio online for interviews and downloadable ideas.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Cole, Joanna and Calmenson, Stephanie. (2014). Teacher’s pets. New York: Henry Holt. (Release date: June 10, 2014)
Cole and Calmenson’s new series, Ready, Set, Dogs! started with the title No Dogs Allowed (2013). In this second installment, Katie and Lucie are two best friends who share their love of dogs. When they discover the magic of the necklaces they bought at the thrift store, their doggy adventures take on a magically furry spin. When the girls arrive at school they learn that their teacher is out sick and a Mr. Z is their substitute for the day. He makes very goofy jokes, and the classroom is chaotic and out of control with Mr. Z’s lack of discipline. The girls are especially discouraged when Mr. Z does nothing when mean Darlene makes fun of them. It is time for them to take matters into their own hands, or rather paws, as they transform themselves into dogs and possibly make a new friend in the process.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Deedrick, Tami. (2014). Teachers help. Mankato, MN: Capstone Publishers.
Filled with color photographs on each page, this nonfiction book describes the work of a teacher from the Our Community Helpers series. Showing young readers the tools that teachers use everyday and presenting the various aspects and kinds of classrooms are included. From studying maps to learning to read, this introductory reader portrays the teacher, the classroom and the community.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Kann, Victoria. (2014). Pinkalicious and the new teacher. New York: Harper Festival. (Release date: June 24, 2014)
Though she usually likes new experiences, it is the first day of school and Pinkalicious isn’t sure about her new teacher, Ms. Penny. She misses her old teacher. However, she gets an idea to make her new classroom more pinkeriffic and more to her liking. Complete with foldout poster, stickers, and bookmarks, fans of Pinkalicious will enjoy this new addition. Students will also enjoy this activity from the publisher’s website in addition to the Think Pinkalicious website and newsletter.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Odgers, Sally. (2014). The untold story of Ms. Mirabella. Illus. by Karen Erasmus. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials.
Ms. Mirabella has assigned her students to write about runners. Rosalyn and William sneak a laugh about the assignment because Ms. Mirabella is so old—what could an old woman know about running? They decide to do their research with Rosalyn’s Uncle Mike who has been training to run in a big race that will take place this weekend. When they arrive at the race both Rosalyn and Mike are so surprised to see that one of the runners is Ms. Mirabella herself! This creates a whole new direction for their writing assignment and the discovery that maybe teachers have a life outside of the classroom.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Slegers, Liesbet. (2014). Teachers and what they do. Antwerp, Belgium: Clavis Publishers.
This book for toddlers and the earliest of readers introduces children to teachers and what they do, exactly as the title indicates. From arts and crafts to reading stories to working with older students who are learning to read and write, this early introduction to teachers will ready young learners for the classroom experience. Colorful photographs add the visual element to observe teachers in their classroom settings as well as their interactions with students.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Winkler, Henry and Lin Oliver. (2014). Bookmarks are people, too! Illus. by Scott Garrett. New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Penguin.
Intermediate level readers are probably familiar with the popular Hank Zipzer series from well-loved authors Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver who introduced fourth grade Hank and his dyslexic difficulties. This new volume introduces Hank to a younger reading audience, and the hero of this story is in second grade. Hank’s dyslexia is not mentioned/diagnosed in this book. Though Hank is really, really giving his best efforts in school, he is struggling. His father is depicted as a supportive parent but also critical that Hank is just not trying hard enough. When it is time for the school play, Hank’s teacher creates a special part for him to play and in the process, Hank saves the play when the class bully freezes during the performance and Hank is able to help.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Grades 3-5
Abbott, Tony. (2014). The crazy classroom caper. Illus. by Colleen Madden. New York: Egmont USA.
The Goofball series introduces #6 with this latest installment that takes place in Miss Becker’s kindergarten class. The Goofballs had had Miss Becker when they were in kindergarten and thought she was the greatest teacher ever and it was actually where their mystery solving began. When the Goofballs stop by to visit her, Miss Becker confides that something mysterious is going on around her classroom. Things are disappearing. The Goofballs volunteer to go undercover disguised as teachers to get to the bottom of these mysterious disappearances. Not an easy thing to do when you are still a kid, though their special skills aid them in this ruse.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Gutman, Dan. (2014). Mr. Jack is a maniac! Illus. by Jim Paillot. New York: HarperCollins.
This title is number ten from Gutman’s My Weirder School series. A.J. and his friends at Ella Mentry School are all about having fun and being weird at the same time, as proven in the earlier titles in this series. Now Principal Klutz thinks his students should learn self-defense techniques. However, the man that he hires to teach the kids, Mr. Jack, thinks of himself as some kind of action hero. He spends more time looking in the mirror and going through the slow-motion version of self-defense moves than actually teaching A.J. and the gang how to do these moves for themselves. A downloadable teacher’s guide to the series can be found at the author’s website. Visit the author’s website for a complete list of his books.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Harley, Bill. (2013). Charlie Bumpers vs the teacher of the year. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.
As Charlie Bumper starts fourth grade, he is not happy. Though Mrs. Burke was named Teacher of the Year, Charlie also knows she is the strictest teacher in school. Unfortunately, Charlie and Mrs. Burke met the previous school year when Charlie’s sneaker accidentally hit her in the head. He fears their school year will not get off to a good start so he tries extra hard to be neat and organized. His good intentions don’t always work—like getting his shoe stuck on the school roof while trying to retrieve a soccer ball or getting toilet paper all over the playground when he was only trying to create a finish line for a race. However, Charlie is a kindhearted soul as he demonstrates when a new student from Chile arrives. Told through the voice of nine-year old Charlie, the surprises and budding relationship with his new teacher blossom. This is the first title in a series with more Charlie adventures to come. Introduce the Charlie Bumpers books with this video book trailer.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Krosoczka, Jarrett. (2014). Lunch lady and the schoolwide scuffle. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
The final volume in the popular Lunch Lady series opens when Lunch Lady and Betty have been fired from the cafeteria due to supposed budget cuts. The evil new superintendent, Dr. Van Grindheimer, has not only plastered her portrait all over the school (including the boys’ restroom), she has put together a whole new staff. The new staff members may look familiar to readers of this series as Krosoczka has brought back all the villains from the previous nine Lunch Lady books. The discipline measures are extreme as the Breakfast Bunch face expulsion. On a tip from the janitor, the kids head over to the Grease Burger to discuss how to handle their situation. When they arrive they discover Betty is working there, and together they decide upon a plan of action. With Kosozaka’s famed graphic novel/comic style, the humorous yet simplistic cartoon illustrations provide the grand finale for the Lunch Lady series. Enjoy this book trailer created by the author/illustrator or all the extra resources at the publisher’s website. Check out all the fun at the Lunch Lady website.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Palacio, J.R. (2014). 365 Days of wonder. New York: Knopf (Release date: August 26)
This book is an exciting follow-up to Wonder, Palacio’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel. From the publisher: “In…Wonder, readers were introduced to memorable English teacher Mr. Browne and his love of precepts. Simply put, precepts are principles to live by, and Mr. Browne has compiled 365 of them—one for each day of the year—drawn from popular songs to children's books to inscriptions on Egyptian tombstones to fortune cookies. His selections celebrate kindness, hopefulness, the goodness of human beings, the strength of people's hearts, and the power of people's wills. Interspersed with the precepts are letters and emails from characters that appeared in Wonder. Readers hear from Summer, Jack, Charlotte, Julian, and Amos. There's something for everyone here, with words of wisdom from such noteworthy people as Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr., Confucius, Goethe, Sappho—and over 100 readers of Wonder who sent R. J. Palacio their own precepts.” In addition, watch for The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story” that will be released May 13, 2014. This will be an e-original story available from Alfred A. Knopf/Random House.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Pelleschi, Andrea. (2014) The life of a colonial schoolteacher. Illus. Planman Technologies. New York: Powerkids Press/ Rosen Publishing.
Using the graphic novel format from the Jr. Graphic Colonial America series, this volume presents life for a teacher during colonial America. The text takes readers through a typical day in the life of a teacher during this period. Written in a fictionalized format, the actual daily life is based on facts about these early school marms, though the authors have not provided documentation or sources used. The graphic format may appeal to reluctant readers.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Grades 6-8
Marcionette, Jake. (2014). Just Jake. Illus. by Victor Rivas Villa! New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Penguin.
Written by the real twelve-year old Jake, this is the story of his move from Florida to Maryland and getting started in a new school. Told with humor and sincerity, it is based on his real-life experience in adjusting to his new surroundings. Jakes has a kind of hobby where he creates Kid Cards. These are like trading cards based on the kids in his school. He starts a new group of Kid Cards when he moves to his new school. He is trying to make new friends but also trying to maintain a low profile to avoid the school bullies. Of course, the bullies get hold of his cards and make life miserable for Jake. Teachers and friends help Jake survive this inevitable confrontation. Read about the real Jake and his journey into getting this book published at his website. Other interesting resources for more backstory on this budding author can be found on the CBS Evening News website, this School Library Journal interview, and this Skype project.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Sanna, Ellyn. (2014). Special education teacher. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publisher.
From the Careers with Character series, this volume uses color photography and detailed explanations to discuss not only the college preparation needed to become a special education teacher but also the character traits needed to work with children with disabilities. Respect, compassion, responsibility, courage and diligence are necessary character traits to help special needs children develop confidence, self-esteem and advocacy as these teachers work with special students to build the road to independence for these children.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Grades 9-12
McClintock, Nora. (2014). Hit and run. Minneapolis, MN: Darby Creek/Lerner Group.
From the Mike & Riel series, this middle-grade mystery novel is written at a reading level for reluctant readers but maintains a suspense level for older readers as well. Set in Toronto, fifteen-year old Mike is living with his Uncle Billy. Mike was sent to live with Billy after his mother’s accidental death four years earlier. Billy is only ten years older than Mike and likes to party, and that leaves Billy to fend for himself most of the time. Billy’s young teen life is falling apart since his mother’s death, from falling grades, his breakup with his girlfriend, losing his job, and now hanging out with guys that are frequently in trouble. Mike’s ex-cop history teacher, Mr. Riel, takes note of Mike. As the story evolves, readers find out that Mr. Riel was the cop in charge of his mother’s case that was never conclusively solved. As information comes to light, Mike and Mr. Riel find that her death may not have been an accident at all and that Uncle Billy may have been involved. Middle school readers will be anxious to read the next volumes in this series where Mike and Mr. Riel become close associates in addition to becoming Mike’s foster parent. Teachers will find a downloadable Discussion Guide at the Lerner website. Visit the Scholastic website to learn more about the “Mike & Riel” series from this author as well as her other mysteries for middle readers. (Originally published by Scholastic Canada, 2003)
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Professional/Adult
Whitaker, Todd. (2013). For the love of teachers; true stories of amazing teachers and the people who love them. Deerfield Beach, Florida: Health Communications, Inc.
This inspirational book based on true stories of actual teachers is the perfect book to read for Teacher Appreciation Week. It is divided into sections: Teachers Who Inspire; Uncommon Teachers, Unexpected Lessons; New Teachers; Teaching by Example; and A Teacher’s Caring Heart. There is something for everyone here from the rookie teacher to the experienced classroom veteran. Taking a look at teachers and the influence they have in developing young lives and the nurturing compassionate atmosphere they create for children is the purpose of this book and truly provides a look at teacher appreciation.
- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant
Additional Resources
These reviews and resources are submitted by members of the International Reading Association’s Children’s Literature and Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online.
The CL/R SIG will host a special session entitled Children's Literature: The Perfect Teachable Moment on Saturday, May 10 at 3:00 p.m. at the International Reading Association 59th Annual Conference in New Orleans. The session celebrates award-winning children's and young adult books and authors. Author Nancy Bo Flood is the keynote session speaker. Her work encompasses more than a dozen books. Her recent historical fiction "Warriors in the Crossfire" is set in Saipan during WWII, and was selected on the 2011 Notable Books for a Global Society (NBGS) list. The NBGS list represents selections and authors from all genres K-12, with a focus on understanding of and appreciation for the world's full range of diverse cultures, ethnic, and racial groups. The session will also include presentation of the 2014 Notable Books for a Global Society (NBGS) list by members of the selection committee. Visit http://www.iraconference.org to learn more about IRA 2014 or to register.