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January 2024 Edition


Spotlight on Reader's Theater

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Bring your books to life with the TeachingBooks Reader's Theater Collection—words will leap right from the text and take center stage. Browse the collection of more than 500 titles, and use the filters to discover ready-to-use scripts that can:

  • Build background knowledge with scripts for nonfiction titles
  • Develop fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension through repeated reading
  • Foster appreciation for different cultures via scripts for various cultural experiences
  • Extend the reading experience with student-crafted adaptations and performances

Here is a short video to help you find the Reader's Theater resources you need on TeachingBooks.

Let us know how you use Reader's Theater to bring out the joy of literature.

Our best,
The TeachingBooks Team

PS: If you have 14 minutes and a box of tissue, we suggest watching Avi, Sharon Creech, Walter Dean Myers, and Sarah Weeks performing Love That Dog (HarperCollins, 2001).

Virtual Book Tour

Ray Anthony Shepard and R. Gregory Christie on A Long Time Coming

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Award-winning book creators Ray Anthony Shepard and R. Gregory Christie collaborated on a new work addressing racism and those who participated in the fight against it. A Long Time Coming (Astra, 2023) is a biography-in-verse collection spanning more than 250 years featuring six notable Black Americans and their pursuit of freedom and justice. Visit our blog for the backstory.

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TeachingBooks Blog Guest Authors and Illustrators

Behind the Books: "Wearable Technologies Are Giving Us Superpowers—I'm Hopeful, but Also Worried"

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"Beyond the blow-your-socks-off cool factor, our society faces many challenges with wearables and tech innovation," says Elaine Kachala in our Behind the Books blog post. Learn how and why she landed on a cautious note for her new middle grade nonfiction book, Superpower?: The Wearable-Tech Revolution (Orca, 2022).

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Feature Digital Titles!

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Sora, the student reading app, is the quickest and easiest way for K-12 students to read ebooks and audiobooks on virtually any device. Begin with the Sora Starter Collection, the no-cost collection that comes with every new Sora platform, then add TeachingBooks' resources to build your lesson. Assign these social emotional awareness books or use them as your read-aloud.

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Featured Booklist: Bilingual Picture Books: Stories Featuring Spanish Vocabulary Words

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Unlock the magic of language and culture with this list of captivating picture books, perfect for enriching storytime experiences in your classroom or library! Ignite the minds of your youngest students and patrons with the beauty of Spanish vocabulary.

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For Teachers by Teachers

Onyinye Iwu on Teaching and Illustrating

Onyinye Iwu

In this For Teachers, By Teachers post, educator and children's book illustrator Onyinye Iwu reflects on the unexpected sources of inspiration in her illustrating career. Iwu shares the rewarding experience of illustrating Too Small Tola Gets Tough (Candlewick, 2023), drawing inspiration from family experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

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Meet-the-Author Recording: A Tulip in Winter: A Story About Folk Artist Maud Lewis with Kathy Stinson

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Kathy Stinson, author of A Tulip in Winter: A Story About Folk Artist Maud Lewis (Greystone, 2023), introduces the story of Maud, a woman born with rheumatoid arthritis who found beauty in the everyday despite pain and poverty. She shares her inspiration for the book and highlights Maud's unique ability to capture joy and beauty through her exuberant art.

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Watch Christina Soontornvat Compete in the Author Fan Face-off

Author Fan Face-off

This month's Face-off features mega-fan Aadya and Christina Soontornvat answering questions about All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team (Candlewick, 2020).

Watch This Video Face-off

Explore All Thirteen on TeachingBooks

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TeachingBooks in Action

TeachingBooks Ideas for Secondary Classrooms

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Explore TeachingBooks for prompts and resources to use in your middle and high school classrooms! From new ideas for classics to creating interactive spaces, you’ll find plenty of ways to deepen your readers' connections to the books in your curriculum. 

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Plan for Summer Reading with TeachingBooks

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Get excited about summer reading! Join us for a look at summer reading lists and programming ideas. Entice readers with book trailers, Meet-the-Author recordings, previews, and more.

Wednesday, January 24, 2024 12:00 CT

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Don't worry if you can't attend live. Sign up and receive a recording.


Featured Booklist: Story Cove

Story Cove A World of Stories graphic

Would you like to incorporate a diverse set of folk tales into your instruction? Check out the titles from Story Cove: A World of Stories! These titles from August House feature books, animations, and lesson plans for folktales from around the world. Explore and learn more below.

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Contests & Giveaways

January Contests & Giveaways, accompanied by multimedia resources!

Contests and Giveaways
  • Don't Trust Cats: Life Lessons from Chip the Dog by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt (PRH, 2024)
  • Dreams of Green: A Three Kings' Day Story by Mariel Jungkunz and Mónica Paola Rodriguez (Astra, 2023)
  • This Little Kitty in the Garden by Karen Obuhanych (Knopf, 2024)
  • And More!

See the January Contests & Giveaways on our blog

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In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, TeachingBooks supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.