English The Wild Christmas Reindeer is a fun book for elementary students. The setting is Finland, and the illustrations are in part inspired by the Sami, who rely on reindeer for many of their basic necessities. Olive, the Other Reindeer is fun for a read-aloud. Check out our Olive, the… Continue reading
Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve? is a beautiful book by Jan Brett, one of our favorite children’s book authors. In this story, naughty trolls threaten a Norwegian Christmas dinner till a passerby with a pet polar bear scares them off. Resources: Jan Brett’s resource pages tell about the research… Continue reading
Michael Rosen’s Chanukah Lights Everywhere is a sweet book, and very good for the classroom. It follows a young boy through preparations and celebration of Chanukah with his family. The book doesn’t ignore the religious nature of the celebration, but is certainly suitable for public schools. The structure of… Continue reading
What we need at this time of year is a quick lesson that can be presented with little to no preparation — and which the kids haven’t already done too many times before! We have a suggestion: The Peterkins’ Christmas, a fun book which your library will probably have,… Continue reading
Olive, the Other Reindeer, by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh, is a wonderfully fun Christmas book. Olive, a little dog, hears “All of the other reindeer” on the radio and decides she must be a reindeer. She heads for Santa’s workshop, where her adventures naturally include saving Christmas. The… Continue reading
Turkey is so much a part of Thanksgiving that many people call it “Turkey Day.” Why not bring some turkey ideas into your classroom? Read A Turkey for Thanksgiving. This charming story tells how Mr. Moose sets out to get a turkey for Thanksgiving. He is surprised when the turkey runs… Continue reading
We don’t mourn the days when teachers handed out candy as bribes or rewards. Still, there are some times of year when it makes sense to have candy around, and it can always be an interesting subject of study. We suggest beginning with a book. Depending on the age… Continue reading
Bats may be the first nocturnal creatures that come to mind, but actually there are lots more. Learn about some of the real creatures that sleep all day and wake up at night (links take you to informational websites): bats possums raccoons owls deer coyote fox mouse skunk weasel porcupines… Continue reading
Shake Dem Halloween Bones by W. Nikola-Lisa with illustrations by Mike Reed is a terrific book for Halloween lessons. It works on a lot of levels. First, it’s a very fun rhythmic read aloud, with a refrain young kids can join in on: Come on, Li’l Red, won’t you dance… Continue reading
Ghost stories are fun at any time of year, and they’re perfect for Halloween. You need to tell or read ghost stories aloud. This can be an excellent way to introduce some classic literature, delve into folklore, or start a study of short stories. Read a few and then let… Continue reading
