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There is a Merge Cube in Sonia's Digital World by Shannon McClintock Miller, published by Capstone and ISTE.

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Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks

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Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks [Gutiérrez, Jolene] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks

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Concrete: From the Ground Up (Material Marvels)

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Concrete: From the Ground Up (Material Marvels)

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The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music

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The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music

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Blips on a Screen: How Ralph Baer Invented TV Video Gaming and Launched a Worldwide Obsession

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Blips on a Screen: How Ralph Baer Invented TV Video Gaming and Launched a Worldwide Obsession

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Star Wars: Galactic Baking: The Official Cookbook of Sweet and Savory Treats From Tatooine, Hoth, and Beyond 

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Star Wars: Galactic Baking: The Official Cookbook of Sweet and Savory Treats From Tatooine, Hoth, and Beyond 

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The Official Harry Potter Baking Book: 40+ Recipes Inspired by the Films 

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The Official Harry Potter Baking Book: 40+ Recipes Inspired by the Films 

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Good Housekeeping 123 Cook!: My First Cookbook

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Good Housekeeping 123 Cook!: My First Cookbook

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Chester van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme

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Chester van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme

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How Was That Built?: The Stories Behind Awesome Structures

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How Was That Built?: The Stories Behind Awesome Structures

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Billions of Bricks: A Counting Book About Building

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Billions of Bricks: A Counting Book About Building

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Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist

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Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist

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Computer Decoder Dorothy Vaughan: Computer Scientist

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Computer Decoder Dorothy Vaughan: Computer Scientist

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Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky 

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Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky 

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Scavenger Art: Creative Challenges for Curious Kids

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Scavenger Art: Creative Challenges for Curious Kids

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Pencils, Pens & Brushes: A Great Girls Guide to Disney Animation

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Pencils, Pens & Brushes: A Great Girls Guide to Disney Animation

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FEATURE. First publishedMarch 2022 (Book Links).

One of the best early childhood teaching tools I have encountered is the long-reach stapler. For those of you not familiar with this treasure of a tool, you can fold any standard-sized paper, staple the spine, and presto!-a book! In addition to teaching full-day kindergarten, I quickly became a part-time bookbinder; I created hundreds of blank books of every size, shape, and color. My writing center was always fully stocked, and my students became prolific author-illustrators, jamming their mailboxes with books to share.

Though the writing process is clearly much more complicated than this anecdote would indicate, it is important to emphasize that these students saw themselves as authors and illustrators. In school, children learn skills, strategies, and steps to assist them in the writing process, but writing is also a personal and artistic journey filled with trial and error and requiring tremendous personal resilience. If professional writers struggle with the writing process, then clearly children need as much guidance and cheerleading as possible for this multifaceted task.

The following picture books are meant to assist teachers in demystifying the process for their students. These books encourage risk-taking, routine building, collaboration, and problem-solving-all essential components of writing. Each title offers practical suggestions while affirming the uniqueness of creation for each person. After all, who better to guide children through the writing process than actual authors and illustrators?

Arthur Writes a Story. By Marc Brown. Illus. by the author. 1996. 32p. Little, Brown, o.p. PreS-Gr. 3.

Arthur has a writing assignment for homework, so he eagerly writes a true story about his puppy. When he asks for feedback from his sister and friends, he begins to rewrite his story to include everyone's ideas. Once confident, Arthur now begins to doubt himself and his story. Eventually, Arthur shares both stories with his class, and it is clear which is the best.

The Best Story. By Eileen Spinelli. Illus. by Anne Wilsdorf. 2008. 32p. Dial (9780803730557). K-Gr. 3.

A young girl struggles to write a story to enter in the library writing contest. Each member of her family insists that they know what makes the best story. Action! Humor! Drama! Romance! The girl writes and rewrites her story to ultimately accommodate all of their suggestions, but the story is preposterous. Finally, wise Mama says, "I think that the best stories come from the heart. Your own heart." With this sage advice, the young girl is inspired!

Fern and Otto: A Story about Two Best Friends. By Stephanie Graegin. Illus. by the author. 2020. 40p. Random/Schwartz & Wade (9780593121306). PreS-Gr. 1.

Fern the bear is in the midst of writing a story about her life with Otto the cat. The story highlights such events as eating lunch, listening to music, and taking naps. Otto thinks Fern's story needs more pizzazz, so Fern and Otto take a walk in the enchanted woods where they look for inspiration. While nothing inspires Otto, Fern comes home to blend her old ideas with new ideas and finishes her book. Otto loves it, of course.

How to Write a Story. By Kate Messner. Illus. by Mark Siegel. 2020. 36p. Chronicle (9781452156668). K-Gr. 3. 808.3.

In this 10-step procedural book, we follow a young author as she walks us through her writing process. She seeks out an idea, crafts her story, and then shares her completed book. Keep a lookout for the curious squirrel!

Inside This Book (Are Three Books). By Barney Saltzberg. Illus. by the author. 2015. 40p. Abrams/Appleseed (9781419714870). PreS-Gr. 2.

Mom makes blank books for Seymour, Fiona, and Wilbur. Seymour's big book is filled with his observations and includes a graphic novel, while Fiona's poetic words dance across the pages of her medium-sized book. In the little book, Wilbur draws pictures and dictates words about his favorite things-his family and a dinosaur. The three books are then assembled into one, hence the title!

Library Mouse. By Daniel Kirk. Illus. by the author. 2007. 32p. Abrams (9780810993464). K-Gr. 3.

Sam the mouse lives in a bustling library. He is a voracious reader and soon becomes a popular yet reclusive author. His first book is an autobiography, but Sam soon branches off into other genres. The librarian writes a note to Sam requesting his appearance at a "Meet the Author Day." Sam is unsure about attending a human function, so he creatively conjures up a unique display to engage and encourage potential young writers. Don't miss the other books in the series: A Friend's Tale (2009), A World to Explore (2010), A Museum Adventure (2012), and Home Sweet Home (2013).

Look! I Wrote a Book! (And You Can Too!). By Sally Lloyd-Jones. Illus. by Neal Layton. 2019. 40p. Random/Schwartz & Wade (9780399558184). K-Gr. 3. 808.3.

An enthusiastic, if somewhat untethered, young author shares helpful suggestions and her process for writing a book. Uniquely, this author offers humorous examples of what not to do.

Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street. By Roni Schotter. Illus. by Kyrsten Brooker. 1997. 32p. Scholastic/Orchard, o.p. PreS-Gr. 2.

Eva has a writing assignment, so she sits on her stoop on 90th Street hopelessly looking for inspiration. Neighbors begin to pass Eva and offer different pieces of advice for writing and life. These neighbors soon turn into a cast of characters in a chain of events that become a wonderful story for Eva and an opportunity for everyone to become friends-and even business partners.

Once upon a Baby Brother. By Sarah Sullivan. Illus. by Tricia Tusa. 2010. 32p. Farrar (9780374346355). K-Gr. 3.

Lizzie is a natural-born storyteller. With her Princess Merriweather pencil, she writes fantastical stories with ease. She is undistracted and laser-focused until her baby brother Marvin arrives on the scene. Marvin is a giant distraction and annoyance but ultimately the perfect inspiration for what Lizzie needs to complete her writing assignment for school-a comic book featuring Marvin!

Ralph Tells a Story. By Abby Hanlon. Illus. by the author. 2012. 40p. Amazon/Two Lions (9780761461807). Gr. 1-3.

Ralph's teacher proclaims that "stories are everywhere!" but Ralph is not buying it. He's looked everywhere-no stories. Ultimately, though, Ralph does come up with the tiniest of ideas about the tiniest of creatures: an inchworm. With the help of his classmates' probing questions and Ralph's imagination, he begins to see that he does have a big story to tell after all.

Rocket Writes a Story. By Tad Hills. Illus. by the author. 2012. 40p. Random/Schwartz & Wade (9780375870866). K-Gr. 2.

Rocket loves words. He has a lovely word tree and a kind and patient teacher in a little yellow bird. Rocket's new goal is to write a story, but he is befuddled as to how to actually find a subject to write about. Rocket soon finds inspiration in an owl nesting at the top of a tree. Even as his story ends, his friendship with Owl begins.

Rufus the Writer. By Elizabeth Bram. Illus. by Chuck Groenink. 2015. 40p. Random/Schwartz & Wade (9780385378536). K-Gr. 2.

One summer day, Rufus decides to write and sell stories. He sets up a stand and dons a blazer and a bow tie, and soon curious friends become eager customers. Rufus trades his stories for unique items such as a shell and a kitten. The stories Rufus writes include whimsical plotlines that integrate aspects of his family's and friends' interests.

A Squiggly Story. By Andrew Larsen. Illus. by Mike Lowery. 2016. 32p. Kids Can (9781771380164). PreS-Gr. 1.

An older sister assists her brother with his early writing attempts; she advises, "It's your story. You're the BOSS." The little boy reads the beginning of his story during show-and-tell, where his classmates offer suggestions. The little boy forges on as the boss of his story and creates his own ending and a possible beginning to a sequel. Another Squiggly Story is due out in May 2022.

The Story of a Story. By Deborah Hopkinson. Illus. by Hadley Hooper. 2021. 40p. Holiday/Neal Porter (9780823444915). K-Gr. 2.

What do you do when you are ready to write a story but the story isn't ready to be written? This story addresses the common frustration of no ideas. After exhausting all of his prewriting strategies (including a snack), the author begins to observe a chickadee outside snacking on a homemade pine cone bird feeder. Inspiration has arrived! The last page includes suggested writing prompts for writing your own chickadee story.

Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book. By Alice Kuipers. Illus. by Bethanie Deeney Murguia. 2014. 40p. Little, Brown (9780316212007). PreS-Gr. 2.

Violet and Victor are twins. Violet loves to write; Victor, not so much. Violet wants Victor to help her with ideas for a story. Victor wants to play with worms. Ultimately, their combined efforts contribute to creating a mutually loved story about a bookworm. Don't forget the sequel: Violet and Victor Write the Most Fabulous Fairy Tale (2016).

Waiting for the Biblioburro. By Monica Brown. Illus. by John Parra. 2011. 32p. Tricycle (9781582463537). K-Gr. 2.

Ana loves to read, and her head is always full of stories. Fortunately, a librarian with a biblioburro passes near her house. Ana borrows books but wishes there was a story about this moving library, so the librarian suggests that Ana write one. When the librarian returns, Ana shares her story with him. Ana's now an official author as her book is packed away on the biblioburro for other children to read. This bilingual book also offers a Spanish term glossary.

What's the Big Idea, Molly? By Valeri Gorbachev. Illus. by the author. 2010. 32p. Philomel (9780399254284). PreS-Gr. 2.

Turtle's birthday is tomorrow. Fortunately, most of his friends have an idea of what to draw for him; unfortunately, it is the same thing-first a flower and then a tree. Molly loves to write poetry, and with collaboration and creativity as their guiding forces, all of the animals work together to create the perfect gift for appreciative Turtle: a book.

Write! Write! Write! By Amy Ludwig VanDerwater. Illus. by Ryan O'Rourke. 2020. 32p. Astra/Wordsong (9781684373628). Gr. 1-3. 811.

This poetry anthology includes 22 poems that address writing process topics such as finding ideas, revising, and editing. Additionally, poems suggest different types of writing, including thank-you notes, state reports, and of course poetry. A teacher could easily use this book for many days' worth of writing mini-lessons.

Written and Drawn by Henrietta. By Liniers. Art by the author. 2015. 64p. TOON (9781935179900). Gr. 1-3. 741.5.

Henrietta's drawings are so bold and scary that even Henrietta is a bit fearful of them. This shifts back and forth between the story of Henrietta and the story by Henrietta, and the not-before-bedtime book includes a three-headed monster.

You Are a Reader!/You Are a Writer! By April Jones Prince. Illus. by Christine Davenier. 2021. 40p. Holiday/Margaret Ferguson (9780823446254). K-Gr. 2.

In this two-for-one book, we see children of various ages enjoying reading and writing in a variety of ways. This book lends reassurance and offers encouragement to readers and writers of all abilities and interests.
Additional Resources
Kristin Rydholm, a frequent contributor to Book Links, is currently working as the instructional assistant at the Library Technology Center of the Joseph Sears School, in Kenilworth, IL.

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Classroom Connections: The Writing Process, by By Kristin Rydholm. | Booklist Online

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FEATURE. First publishedMarch 2022 (Book Links). One of the best early childhood teaching tools I have encountered is the long-reach stapler. For those of you not familiar with this treasure of a tool, you can fold any standard-sized paper, staple the spine, and presto!-a book!

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These picture books for young learners encourage them to grow their social-emotional and collaboration skills as they build with blocks.

In graduate school I was fortunate enough to take a block building course. That's right, block building. There was even a textbook. It was one of the most valuable early childhood classes that I've ever had. The lessons from that class and subsequent years of block building in my kindergarten classroom allowed me to formulate a block area methodology and philosophy.

The block area is a community center, and it must be intentionally designed so that students can access, navigate, and assist in maintaining its organization. The block area isn't simply a play destination, but a collaborative and cooperative learning environment; problems that occur (e.g., law of gravity or social and emotional) are critical teachable moments that help children learn more about themselves, the materials, and their peers. Finally, I learned that the structures themselves must be respected; documenting them via photographs, drawings, or words not only assist in evaluating students' civil engineering skills but also help children say goodbye to their structures at cleanup time.

There are numerous picture books about building as it pertains to construction, but there are far fewer about block building itself. The books that follow are love letters to the block area meant to inspire young engineers and architects. They're also meant to prompt practical classroom discussions about the blocks and the block area-for example, "What do you do when someone knocks your building down?" "How tall is too tall?" "If you don't have the kind of block that you need, what do you do?" And last but not least, "What is the best way to clean up the block area?"

Picture Books About Block Building
Courtesy of Astra Publishing House
Moving Blocks, by Yusuke Yonezu. With the refrain "What are you building? What can it be?" a collection of colored blocks form and re-form to create assorted modes of transportation. (Preschool)

Bigger! Bigger! by Leslie Patricelli. A young construction worker with BIG dreams, and assorted blocks, constructs buildings, a road, and a bridge. With the assistance of her faithful coworkers, Dog and Cat, the city grows bigger and bigger until a giant baby comes to town! (Preschool-kindergarten)

Changes, Changes, by Pat Hutchins. A resourceful wooden toy couple build a block house that inexplicably catches fire. They quickly construct a fire engine with a hose to extinguish the fire, but now knee-deep in water, the blocks are reconstructed into a boat. On land the blocks turn into a truck, then a train, to arrive at a new place to build their new block home. (Preschool-first grade)
Courtesy of Simon & Schuster
, by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Daniel Kirk. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this poem in 1913, and Daniel Kirk illustrated it for contemporary times. A boy happily builds a block town on a rainy day. Kirk's illustrations blend the boy's fantasy town and his actual block buildings. (Preschool-first grade)

Crash! Boom!: A Math Tale, by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Chris Chatterton. An industrious young elephant stacks blocks to measure up against. Alas, the blocks topple to the ground. Elephant rebuilds twice with determination in an attempt to make the block tower stronger each time. (Preschool-first grade)

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building, by Christy Hale. Children construct buildings juxtaposed with images of famous architectural structures. While this book includes block building, it also features other assorted construction materials. (Preschool-first grade)

Jack the Builder, by Stuart J. Murphy, illustrated by Michael Rex. With an assortment of colored blocks and a boundless imagination, Jack builds a robot toy, a hot dog stand, a ferry boat, an airport control tower, and the tallest building in the world! Ultimately, he uses all of his blocks to build a rocket ship. (Preschool-first grade)
Courtesy of Simon & Schuster
Now What?: A Math Tale by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Chris Chatterton. A puppy scrutinizes individual blocks to problem-solve how to create a bed of blocks for a nice snooze. (Preschool-first grade)

When I Build With Blocks, by Niki Alling. With this book, set in the classroom, students share all of the potential structures they can create in the block area that will enhance their dramatic play, such as a haunted house for a ghost, a castle for a king, and a plane for a pilot. (Preschool-first grade)

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Inspiring Creativity With Blocks in the Early Childhood Classroom

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These picture books for young learners encourage them to grow their social-emotional and collaboration skills as they build with blocks. In graduate school I was fortunate enough to take a block building course. That's right, block building. There was even a textbook. It was one of the most valuable early childhood classes that I've ever had.

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Classroom Connections: Playing around with Cardboard Boxes, by By Kristin Rydholm. | Booklist Online

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Booklist Online Book Review: Classroom Connections: Playing around with Cardboard Boxes. By Kristin Rydholm.
FEATURE.
November 2021 (Book Links).Books For Youth - Fiction

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Coding and Early Literacy Padlet, created by Ashley Cooksey

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Coding and Early Literacy Padlet, created by Ashley Cooksey

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Books that introduce coding as a set of directions. You will find the Padlet here.

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Coding and Early Literacy Padlet created by Ashley Cooksey

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Coding and Early Literacy Padlet created by Ashley Cooksey

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Books that introduce coding as a set of directions. You will find the Padlet here.

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This is a great book to explore music with. After reading the book, have students make their own