LitLife’s Summer Reading Suggestions!

Summer is just around the corner and with it comes the excitement of sunny days and a long break from school for our students. While we take time to appreciate summer’s myriad gifts, it is also important to ensure that reading is at the center of our summer activities. We must provide continuous access to books of all kinds so that our students will begin the new school year feeling enriched, prepared, and confident in their reading identities. We appreciate books that challenge us, inspire us, and call on our imaginations during those long, hot days. Below are some of our favorites!

Grades K-2

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Mo Willems is a popular and beloved author and Knuffle Bunny is a perfect example of why his words and stories are so appealing and so widely read. A routine trip to the laundromat becomes dramatic when the young protagonist, Trixie, leaves behind her beloved stuffed animal. Willems’ book is warm and enjoyable- just like summer!

Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

The first in a series, Atinuke tells the story of Anna Hibiscus, a young girl who lives in Africa with her family. This book is a great resource for teaching children about another culture while emphasizing the universalities of every childhood. Readers will be eager to explore all of the books in the Anna Hibiscus series.

Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Henlon

Dory is spunky, curious, imaginative, and energetic. Her story is told in chapter book form, which makes Henlon’s book an excellent choice for a read-aloud or a great selection for independent readers in search of early and accessible chapter books. Dory’s enthusiasm is annoying to her siblings, Luke and Violet, but her silly questions and wonderings (“why do we have armpits?”) will make her a favorite among young readers.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

Beekle is a lovable and endearing protagonist in this unique and deeply engrossing picture book. Santat’s spin on the familiar concept of the “imaginary friend” is both whimsical and touching, and readers will embrace Beekle with open arms.

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China, by Ed Young

Winner of the 1990 Caldecott Medal, Young artfully tells the story of three sisters who encounter Lon Po Po, a wolf pretending to be their grandmother. Told from the point of view of the sisters, with beautiful and haunting panel illustrations, this twist on the classic Little Red-Riding Hood is emotionally textured.

Grades 3-5

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Kate DiCamillo’s tale of a mouse named Despereaux Tilling has garnered a great deal of well-deserved popularity and attention. Despereaux is no ordinary mouse; he can read and hear music and, most importantly, he can fall in love (with a Princess!). Despereaux’s big heart and unconventional courage make him a lasting and memorable hero.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

This Newbery Medal winning novel tells the story of Ivan, an artistic and creative gorilla who lives captive in a shopping mall. When Ivan meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, his life forever changes. The lessons Ruby teaches Ivan, and his transformative journey, will lead readers to think thoughtfully about human-animal relationships and the power of empathy and kindness. This is a perfect book for animal-loving readers.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

This novel, told in verse, details the story of Hà and her move from Saigon to Alabama. Readers will learn about the real-life struggles of child refugees and their families. Lai’s words and narrative are beautiful, moving, and powerful.

Giants Beware! by Jorge Aguirre

This graphic novel centers around a lively protagonist named Claudette, who dreams of slaying a giant. The only problem is that there are no giants to be found near Claudette’s house- so she embarks on a journey to locate one. Readers will be drawn to the humor of Claudette’s adventures and the appealing graphic novel format.

Star Wars: Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown

This graphic novel is an especially good choice for fans of Star Wars, but all readers will enjoy the adventures of Roan, a middle schooler who is invited to attend Jedi Academy. Roan’s middle school trials and tribulations will feel familiar, but the backdrop of a “galaxy far, far away” make them remarkable and memorable.

Grades 6-8

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

This award-winning novel will stay with readers long after they finish the last page. An homage to Madeleine L’Engle’s classic  A Wrinkle in Time, Stead’s book is an enduring read that has entered into the pantheon of the classics in its own right. The friendship at the core of the novel is profound and complex and plants the book firmly in a sensitive and realistic world that will be familiar to many readers (despite the elements of mystery and fantasy that anchor the larger plot).

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

This beautiful book is written in verse and is a must-read for students and adults alike. Woodson’s memoir, presented through lyrical and poetic language, is powerful and moving, and addresses challenging and complex issues with clarity and sensitivity. Eloquent and deeply affecting.

Harlem Summer by Walter Dean Myers

We love reading Walter Dean Myers’ books year round, but this one is especially perfect for summertime reading. This novel takes place during the Harlem Renaissance, and significant historical figures such as Langston Hughes make appearances throughout the book.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

This is the first installment in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and its fast-paced fantastical tale makes for perfect summer reading. The Lightning Thief follows the story of Percy Jackson and his friends Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood as they embark on a mission to find Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt. On their adventures the friends encounter minotaurs, centaurs, and a host of Greek gods and goddesses. Readers will connect with the realistic characters (for example, Percy is dyslexic and struggles with ADHD) and action-packed plots while learning a little about Greek mythology.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

This graphic novel, through its moving images and thought-provoking stories, brilliantly connects three very different characters and their struggles: the famous folktale of Sun Wukong, “The Monkey King”; Jin Wang, a boy who starts at a new school where he wants to fit in with his classmates; and Danny, a boy whose life is turned upside-down by the visit of his Chinese cousin, Chin-kee. This graphic novel gracefully examines a range of hardships and joys, including exclusion, racism, friendship, and first love.

Global World, Global Students

In today’s technological world, we can constantly connect with people from all over the globe. Students can collaborate often with their peers on the other side of the world. For that reason, it is more important than ever that we prepare our students to be informed, empathetic, and compassionate contributors to this global community. We can work towards this goal in a number of ways, some of which are outlined below.

Provide access to diverse books

We are excited to live in a time in which we can all advocate for a multitude of perspectives and varied experiences in the books we read. Movements like the We Need Diverse Books campaign are powerful because they are an example of how people’s voices are coming together to encourage access to a wide range of experiences in all our reading lives. We must transfer the momentum and energy of this discussion into our classrooms. Our classroom libraries should allow our students literary access to a diverse range of voices, perspectives, and cultures.

Our Inspiration Director, Pam Allyn, has partnered with our friends at Booksource to create book lists that support diverse voices in the K-2 grades. You can find them here.

Another helpful resource is this list of books from the New York Public Library.

Here is a small sampling of some of our all-time favorite titles that reflect a wide range of experiences and voices:

The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander

Wonder, by R.J. Palacio

The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros

Dumping Soup, by Jama Kim Rattigan

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Use technology

Wonderful tools like Skype Classroom enable our students to interact with peers, writers, teachers, and friends around the world. Our partner organization, LitWorld, hosts World Read Aloud Day every March, and on this day, tools like Skype enable students to enjoy read alouds from authors and discuss books with students in other countries.

Online blogging platforms also make it possible for classrooms and students around the globe to share their writing and thinking with each other. Teachers can moderate and supervise these classroom blogs and allow their students to share what they are thinking with others. Students can also comment on the pieces of their peers and can reflect on the learnings and wonderings they develop during their reading experiences.

Give students space to share their own stories

One of the best ways for students to practice compassion and empathy is to actively listen to the stories of their classmates. As teachers, our most important job is to honor the experiences of each of our students and to promote the importance of individual storytelling. In her book Your Child’s Writing Life, Pam Allyn writes that, “Language brings us together. The details of our stories are different, but by sharing them we can find one another across any gulf of distance.”

In today’s global world, it is essential that our students recognize the power of language and of their own stories and that they develop compassion and respect as they listen to the stories of others. Ensure that all students feel comfortable to express themselves in your classroom, and devote specific time to sharing, talking, and reflecting. Host classroom celebrations of student writing frequently; allow time and space for student-to-student conversation; think actively and frequently about your classroom environment. Honor the narratives and experiences of each child, so that they will know to honor their own stories as well.

Let’s continue to share ideas and to advocate together for the voices of our students. Let’s work to ensure that all of our students see their experiences represented in the literature they read and that all of our students are exposed to unfamiliar experiences and voices in that literature as well. And let’s actively embrace all the gifts and resources of our global community.

LitLife’s Favorite Winter Read Alouds

It has been a cold and snowy winter. Here in New York City, we have spent the last few weeks trudging through snow, slipping on ice, and trying to stay warm! Nothing is cozier or more warming than a good read aloud and we have been relying on some of our favorites to get us through the chilly days. And for our friends who live in warm climates, a wintry read aloud can be a great way to get a taste of the cool weather- no travel required! Here are some winter read alouds we love:

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

This classic, Caldecott Medal winning book is a must-read on any snowy day. Ezra Jack Keats’ story describes a little boy enjoying and exploring the outdoors after snow has fallen. Children will love the memorable illustrations and will be inspired to have their own fun in the snow!

 The Mitten by Jan Brett

 This winter tale is an especially perfect choice for animal lovers. The story centers around a boy named Nicki who loses his white mitten in the snow. A variety of animals discover the mitten while Nicki looks for it. The beautiful illustrations bring the animals and the cold, snowy setting to life.

Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear by Nicola Davies

Ice Bear is another great winter pick for children who are interested in animals. This book is filled with facts about polar bears, presented through Davies’ poetic writing and Gary Blythe’s wonderful illustrations. This beautiful read is perfect for learning about an Arctic animal on an arctic-cold day.

 Snow by Cynthia Rylant

 Cynthia Rylant is one of our favorite authors and we are always on the lookout for any opportunity to read one of her books. A chilly winter day is an ideal time to savor this one about a girl enjoying the snow.

 Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

 Another classic wintry picture book, Katy and the Big Snow tells the story of Katy, a red tractor who plows snow in the winter. After a big snow storm, Katy needs to put her plowing skills to use. Everyone will have a newfound appreciation for snow plows after reading about Katy!

Second Grade Wisdom: “If a school wants to be awesome it needs books”

How do you make school awesome? Just ask the kids. LitLife consultant Debbie Lera recently asked a group of second grade students to finish the prompt, “An awesome school has…” From mountains of books to caring teachers, from computer labs to a class goat, these unique answers give great insight into what makes a learning environment fun,  engaging, and of course, awesome.

“I want to feel important and comfortable when I come in so I feel safe.  And not scared so that I can feel like I’m at home and not be afraid.  And feel free to learn.”

“If a school wants to be awesome, it needs books.  When a student is in a class, the students should feel important.  I like teachers that care and love kids.  The students should have fun at school always.  The students should have free time, too.”

“In the school maybe you could have some science.  I want to go to school and be able to make mistakes.  Maybe you could have a huge library.  You should have self portraits on the wall.  You should totally have a puppy as a class pet.  You should lots of furniture, and not like school furniture, but home furniture like couches and soft chairs and pillows.”

“You need tons of books.  Like mountains of them.  You need a nice teacher.  Nice classmates.  Art, AG, Spanish since Kindergarten, PE, reading workshop, writing workshop, friends, a computer lab.  Make it comfortable and not scary when you don’t know an answer.  Kids love to have jobs, too.”

“You will need some books, but make it so the kids can choose which ones they read.  In our class, we go book shopping every Monday and make our reading collection for the week.  I love that.  You might want some plants and you will need a cool playground.  An animals.”

“I think there should be a couch, a truck, a goat, and a cow.”

“I want to feel happy, important, and safe.  If I’m bad, I want her to just look at me and not make a big deal so I know I did something wrong.  If I’m bad again then I get in trouble.  In class at the end of the day, I would like to have free time on one day of the week to explore the class tools.  I would like a class pet.  I would like a journal for only me to see:  NOT THE TEACHER!”

“I think that you should make the children feel good and not afraid to ask questions.  I also think that enrichment classes are good idea too.  Do math games like Bump and Ten Turns so you can learn and talk and play at the same time.  I love games for anything.”

LitLife’s Favorite Thanksgiving Read Alouds

Thanksgiving is a time for families to get together and give thanks for each other’s company. Here at LitLife, we believe it’s also a time for sharing stories! As everyone lazily gathers together after dinner with full bellies, what better time is there to cuddle up and share a favorite story?  We’ve gathered a few of our favorite Thanksgiving books to help you get into the holiday spirit:

1. The Thankful Book by Todd Parr

Ages 3-6

We love the colorful images and joyful lessons in all of Todd Parr’s children’s books, and this book of gratitude is no different. Reading this book aloud with your littlest family members will help them reflect on all of the things they have to be grateful for, and will provide some giggles as well!

2.  Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet

Ages 4-8

There’s nothing that gets you in the holiday spirit quite like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. If you plan on watching the parade with little ones this year, this award winning picture book is the perfect read aloud. Through her creative collage illustrations, Melissa Sweet tells the story of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons that have become the trademark of the Macy’s Parade.

3. Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac

Ages 6-9

Award-winning storyteller, Joseph Bruchac shares the history of Thanksgiving from a Native American’s point of view with this historical account of Squanto. Even after he was kidnapped and shipped to Spain, Squanto befriended the English who landed in Plymouth and helped them survive the winter. Kids will love looking at Greg Shed’s full page illustrations and Bruchac’s unique historical account of the day.

4.  Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson

Ages 5-10

Your kids may be surprised to learn that Thanksgiving wasn’t always a national holiday. It wasn’t until 1863, after Sarah Hale had been petitioning and writing letters to the government for 38 years, that Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday! This celebration of Hale’s perseverance from acclaimed author, Laurie Halse Anderson will quickly become a new family favorite.

5. A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting

Ages 5-8

Poor Turkey is hidden away in his nest just trying to get through Thanksgiving when Moose and his friends come looking for him. Out on a quest for Mrs. Moose, who would like to have a turkey for dinner, Mr. Moose and his friends bring the trembling bird back for dinner. In the end, Turkey is pleasantly surprised to learn that he is a guest for dinner, and not the main course! This silly story will be loved by all but is especially good for families celebrating a vegetarian Thanksgiving.

Reflections for National Library Week

At LitLife, we are book lovers. Our staff is made up of avid readers, who are constantly sharing new book discoveries and old favorites. For us, reading is about community building, sharing ideas and growing together. We believe that building a strong reading community is critical to student success.

Our love of books and reading communities, in turn makes us lovers of libraries. Libraries are portals of opportunity where we can learn, explore and discover. Librarians help us, and our students, cross the bridges between academic and independent reading.

This week, as we celebrate National Library Week, we think back on the role libraries have played in our own lives, helping each of us on the road to becoming life-long readers and learners. When I think of libraries, I think back to trips to the library with my mom.

Going to the library was an exercise in independence. My mom would let me wander the children’s and young adult sections, selecting the titles that called out to me. I learned to read the backs of books and scan the chapters to pick the perfect titles. I remember the excitement of signing my library card for the first time, nervously writing my name out in newly learned cursive. I loved being able to check out books with my very own card.

Using the computer catalog was particularly exciting, entering favorite authors or subjects and being presented with lists of possibilities. Very carefully, I would write down the titles and call numbers on a piece of scrap paper and carry them back to the shelves as I hunted for books.  When I got to college I was surprised to learn during a group project that a friend had never learned this particular skill. I had felt so important learning to navigate the library on my own, it made me sad she had never experienced that.

Libraries are amazing places to learn and to bring the community together. Here at LitLife, we are very excited to celebrate National Library Week. We hope you’ll join our celebration by sharing your own library memories with us, either in the comments below, or on our Facebook page!