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I chose Gaia Cornwall for my author study after coming across her name on the Padlet list and doing a quick search to learn more about her work. When I found Jabari Jumps, I listened to a read-aloud and immediately connected with the story. The theme of Jabari Jumps, which focuses on courage, bravery, and overcoming fear, resonated deeply with me because I have struggled with self-confidence most of my life. Finding my own courage later in life through sports, especially jiu-jitsu, has helped me grow into who I am today, a college student in my 40s. I now try to help my preschoolers build confidence early so they can believe in themselves and reach their full potential.

Gaia Cornwall has only written a few books since she began publishing in 2017, but her stories show meaningful and relatable themes. Jabari Jumps explores courage, Jabari Tries focuses on perseverance, Fairy Walk celebrates finding magic in the natural world, and The Best Bed for Me tells the story of an imaginative child trying to avoid bedtime by pretending to be different animals. Cornwall’s books also stand out for their representation, featuring characters of many races, same-sex and mixed-race families, and strong examples of family support and loving connections. These themes are important for young children to see because they reflect real-life diversity and help all children feel seen and valued.

Studying Gaia Cornwall’s work inspires me to bring more diverse, meaningful picturebooks into my classroom and to create learning experiences that encourage my students to be brave, curious, and proud of who they are.

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My current stack.

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Reading was one of my favorite hobbies as a child. Some of my favorites included The Babysitters Club series, all of the Narnia books, The Secret Garden, Tallahassee Higgins, Shel Silverstein books, Charlotte's Web, The Boxcar Children series, the R.L. Stine Fear Street Series, Hatchet, and James and the Giant Peach.

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Digital Artifact: Where did you read as a child?

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Digital Artifact: Where did you read as a child?

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As a child, I read everywhere. What is funny is I remember reading a lot when I wasn't supposed to be. I read when I was supposed to be in bed sleeping. I read at school when I was supposed to be listening to my teachers or reading my textbooks. I often had a book inside of a book (we had real textbooks back then) that my teacher couldn't see. The library was less than half a mile from my house growing up and that was the first place I was allowed to walk all alone. I always enjoyed reading at the library. Both at school and the public library.

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Digital Artifact: Favorite quote about reading 

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Digital Artifact: Favorite quote about reading 

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I am always bummed when a good book comes to an end! Loved this quote I found because it fits me perfectly.

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As a teen I loved Stephen King books, VC Andrews, and John Grisham. I started reading biographies as a teen and haven't stopped. I think I read every biography in our school library. I don't care who it's about. The more different they are from me, the better!

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Me and my husband in the Ossuary Library at Meow Wolf in Denver!

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Digital Artifact: Books currently in my Amazon cart

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Digital Artifact: Books currently in my Amazon cart

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Books Currently in my Amazon cart! Hoping to read all of these next!

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Identity Map

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Ramona Quimby, Age 8 was a mirror book for me because I saw my own childhood in her experiences. Ramona’s family was loving but often had to stretch their money, which reflected my own working-class upbringing. Like Ramona, I often wanted nicer things as a child, but I also understood that my family was doing their best. Seeing her family face everyday struggles with humor and resilience helped me feel less alone. This connects to Rudine Sims Bishop’s framework because the book acted as a mirror, showing me my own reality, and reminding me that kids like me belonged in stories. It also ties to Donalyn Miller’s idea of the reading role model because this book was first shared with me as a read aloud in my first-grade classroom. My teacher read to us everyday after recess and when teachers share books where students can see themselves, it builds trust and shows that reading is about making real, personal connections. That’s the kind of impact Ramona had on me as a reader and as a person.

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I chose For You Are a Kenyan Child by Kelly Cunnane as my window book from the EJK list because it beautifully captures the daily life of a child in Kenya, offering both a fresh perspective and a sense of connection to universal childhood experiences. I also chose this book because I had child from Kenya in my classroom last year. The story highlights responsibility, curiosity, and community, while also sharing cultural details that may be new to many children. This makes it a meaningful text for introducing them to the richness of life outside their own life.

The book directly connects to Rudine Sims Bishop’s framework of books as windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors. For some children, this story will be a window into a culture and way of life they have never experienced. For others, it can be a mirror that reflects familiar traditions and family structures, validating their own identity. It also acts as a sliding glass door, allowing all readers to step into another child’s world and see life through their eyes. It just depends on who is reading the book and what experiences they have had. Donalyn Miller emphasizes the importance of teachers being authentic reading role models. By choosing to share diverse stories like this one, I demonstrate to the children in my classroom that I value books that expand perspectives and build empathy. This helps encourage them to read and approach books with openness and curiosity.

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When Ellie compares hugging her mom to puzzle pieces that don’t fit, it shows their lack of closeness. The timing of this moment matters because she is about to visit Viv, who makes her feel seen and valued, which highlights the contrast between her mom and Viv. These notes made me notice how important it is for Ellie to have people like Viv in her life, and they made me question why her mom struggles so much to give her the love she needs.

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When the book says, ‘These monthly Sunday subway rides are never ending, and as usual, Milo is a shook up soda. Excitement stacked on top of worry on top of confusion on top of love. To keep himself from bursting, he studies the faces around him and makes pictures of their lives,’ it shows how Milo feels so many emotions at once and uses drawing as a way to cope. This moment matters because it helps us understand that he is on his way to visit someone important and is trying to manage feelings that are too big for him to hold inside. These notes made me notice how creative Milo is in finding a way to handle hard emotions, and they made me connect to my own classroom, since last year I had several children with parents in jail or prison who also carried heavy feelings they didn’t always know how to express.

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Carmela wishing her dad could get his papers in order and come home. 

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One thing I really loved about Carmela Full of Wishes is how each of Carmela’s wishes is shown as a cut-out in the illustrations. The cut-outs make the wishes feel magical and special, almost like they are popping off the page. I also loved Carmela as a character because she is curious, brave, and thoughtful, and you can see how much she cares about her family through the wishes she makes. The cut-outs stand out because they show her imagination and dreams in a very visual, creative way. This connects to identity and representation because Carmela is a young Latina girl, and the book celebrates her culture and perspective while showing that children’s hopes and voices are important.