Jodell Sadler, MFA
Jodell Sadler, MFA
Library Information Specialist (3-year, IL), Reading Specialist (WI), Special Ed (WI), ELA K12, Art K12 (IL), Tech in 3 Areas (IL), Elementary Middle (Provisional WI/Full in IL)
Embedded Files
InTASC Standard 1: Learner Development
InTASC Standard 1: Learner Development
Teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
Teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
1.a Design and use a wide variety of instructional practices and DIVERSE RESOURCES fostering information and digital literacy for the development of all learners.
Teacher promotes DIVERSE EXPERIENCES in literacy, library, and reading as shown in book selections 2020-21:
Teacher promotes DIVERSE EXPERIENCES in literacy, library, and reading as shown in book selections 2020-21:
Diversity - African America Fiction, plus direct ties to plot and story structure
Text + Words Study
Diversity - India Culture, Fiction, plus ties to true situations
Diversity - Disabilities plus ties to real life loneliest whale: 52Hz
Diversity - Korean Culture, Fiction, Newbery 2021, plus study of folktales
Diversity - Thai Culture, Nonfiction, Award-winner, plus ties to STEM and a real story
1.b Develop, curate, organize, and manage PRINT AND DIGITAL COLLECTIONS to appropriately meet the developmental needs and interests of the entire learning community.
InTASC Standard 2: Learner Differences
InTASC Standard 2: Learner Differences
Teachers use understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
Teachers use understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
2.a Understand and model cultural competence, RESPECT FOR INCLUSIVENESS, and differentiation for abilities and learning styles when providing learning opportunities in the library.
Diverse Books Showcase
Diverse Books Showcase
Acevedo, Elizabeth. (May 5, 2020). Clap When You Land. Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins: New York, NY.
HISPANIC-PACIFIC ISLANDER CULTURE. Amazon says it best, "In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives."
Acevedo, Elizabeth. (March 6, 2018). Poet-X. Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins: New York, NY.
HISPANIC-PACIFIC ISLANDER CULTURE. Xiomara Batista, a Harlem teen "an Afro-Latina heroine, tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth."
Keller, Tae. (January 28, 2021). When You Trap A Tiger. Random House Books for Young Readers: New York, NY.
KOREAN CULTURE + FOLKTALES. This year's 2021 Newbery Winner does not disappoint. It provides a glimpse at Korean culture and folktales and presents it in an interesting way: on the cusp of life's loss and grief --all on the shirt tales of profound love. There's a great duality here in this text between reality and fantasy and it's undeniably powerful. What shows the most skill is the delicate dance between the folktales that are being shared and illuminated in reality for the main character to consider: her Halmony (grandmother) as part tiger, part girl and keeper of stories comes to terms with life's final moments and long-lasting legacy.
Kelly, Lynne. (2019). Song for a Whale. Delacourt Press/Penguin-Random House. New York: NY.
DISABILITY. So often, we forget that disability is a solid category in diversity and equity discussions. This book is a reminder. Iris, a tech genius, finds a way to convince her mother that she belongs among the other deaf children because being in a place of belong is important. Throughout the novel, this notion is compared and contrasted by the main character who identifies with 55 Hertz, a lonely whale who swims along. Like The Bridge Home, this novel is based on a real creature: The Loneliest Whale, 52 Hertz. Students can compare the real story against its presentation in this fictional account.
Leitich Smith, Cynthia. (April 14, 2020). Hearts Unbroken. Candlewick Press: Sommersville, MA.
NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE. Text to come.
Leitich Smith, Cynthia. (February 9, 2021). Rain Is Not My Indian Name. Heartdrum/HarperCollins Publishing: New York, NY.
NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE. Text to come.
Maldonado, Chrystal. (February 2, 2021). Fat Change, Charlie Vega. Holiday House: New York, NY.
LATINA CULTURE. Text to come.
Neil Wallace, Sandra and Rich Wallace. (January 5, 2021). Race Against Time: The Untold Story of Scipio Jones and the Battle to Save Twelve Innocent Men. Calkins Creek: New York, NY.
If you think you might be inspired by a life well-lived, this is the book to read. It tells the story of how one man, one formerly enslaved black lawyer dedicates years of his life and his life savings, to help a dozen men who deserve freedom.
Patterson, James & Kwame Alexander. (October 5, 2020). Becoming Muhammad Ali. Jimmy Imprint/Little, Brown Books for Young People: New York, NY.
BLACK CULTURE. A biography told by two award-winning authors and presents a unique story structure and not-often-done first -person point of view in biography. Patterson and Alexander deliver a novel that's told in prose and freeverse.
Parker Rhodes, Jewell. (2020). Black Brother, Black Brother. Little, Brown Books for Young People: New York, NY.
BIRACIAL + BLACK CULTURE. Two black brothers explore the black and biracial complexities of our society and present the reader with a keen understanding that it is in no way right to make for the discussion about how complexion can be a complex issue. A tangled knot of sorts. And sort of messed up. This book shares untangles that mess while teaching fencing from a legend of the sport and places Mom, who is a lawyer, at the bench to speak her truth beside her two boys: One charged. One not. Both equally loved.
Reynolds, Jason. (2017) Long Way Down. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books: New York, NY.
BLACK PERSPECTIVE. One boy. A Brother shot. A choice to make: Will I avenge my brother's death and "follow the rules" or will not? This book has received many awards and for good reason. It should be a part of any exploration on diversity -- AND it's the best book to use when studying PLOT. It follows the plot diagram explicitly and then serves up a surprise that will bust out and boost discussions at the very end. There are good reasons why this book was dubbed by Jason Reynolds, himself, as "Boyz in the Hood meets A Christmas Carol"—five or more of them. They represent the ghosts of the main character's past that meet with him in the elevator. This is a Newbery Honor Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, a Printz Honor Book, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner for Young Adult Literature, longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award, an Edgar Award Winner for Best Young Adult Fiction, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner, an Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of 2017, a Vulture Best YA Book of 2017, and a Buzzfeed Best YA Book of 2017.
Slater, Dashka. (October 17, 2017). The 57 Bus: a true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives. Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York, NY.
LGBTQ CULTURE. A conversation How we treat others burst open in this text. The approach and structure is worth a close and careful study. It opens with the sentence and outcomes: Richard to prison, facing trial as an adult despite being a teen. Sasha, who identifies as gender-neutral, faces suffering and multiple surgeries to survive what happened to her. Then, the story unfolds to alternate between each character's point of view and the hard facts about the criminal justice system and is presented in a way that makes the reader aware that, perhaps, the whole system is on trial.
Soontornvat, Christina. (October 13, 2020) All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team. Candlewick Press: Somerville, MA
THAI CULTURE. An intense view of the daily struggles and science behind the Thai Boy's Soccer Team rescue in Thailand. The approach to this unfolding nonfiction narrative could be compared to The 57 Bus: a true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives by Dashka Slater. Both titles reside in that space where STEM and a firm journalistic pen collide to bring an event to life for a reader. This title makes a great read-aloud and conversation about how much STEM plays a role in everyday life. The way the rescuers had to analyze the mountains, the rainfall, and the riskiness of the rescue against the boys and rescuers' safety comes across in this text. A 2021 Newbery Honor Book, a 2021 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, a 2021 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist.
Thomas, Angie. (September 11, 2018). The Hate U Give. Balzer + Bray: New York, NY.
BLACK CULTURE. A 2018 Newbery Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and Michael L. Prinz Honor Book, The Hate U Give begins with a horrific incident. A black teen gets killed for reaching for a comb or hairbrush. And Starr, who was with him at the time, cannot come to terms with what happened but is also having trouble finding her voice to stand up and speak out about what happened. A nice compare-contrast title for The 57 Bus. Lots to discuss and a random tidbit: my favorite word in this novel: is so perfectly placed: "Exactdamnly."
Venkatraman, Padma. (2020). The Bridge Home. A Nancy Paulsen Book/Penguin-Random House Books: New York, NY.
INDIA CULTURE. Travel to India where we find two sisters, Viji and Rukku, decides to leave home to find and redefine family as street urchins who learn to forge a life for themselves. This novel offers the opportunity to explore the true story beneath this text (shared in the author note), discuss and compare the rupee to the American dollar, and delve into what makes up great dialogue--and the power of action tags versus regular tags in our storytelling. Dialogue and using it to differentiate the characters in this book is one of this book's best attributes.
Woodson, Jacqueline. (April 21, 2020). Harbor Me. Nancy Paulsen Books: New York, NY.
MIXED CULTURES & REPRESENTATIVE STRUGGLES. Six kids from various cultural backgrounds and concerts meet in a room to chat and discover their stories connect them. From Esteban's father's deportation, Haley's father's incarceration, Amari's fears of racial profiling, and Ashton's adjustment to his changing family fortunes, they are similar and different—and that's beautiful. When they are together, they share feelings and fears and unite to redefine what it means to be brave as a group that celebrates diversity and inclusion.
2.b Develop, curate, organize, and MANAGE PRINT AND DIGITAL COLLECTIONS to appropriately meet the developmental needs and interests of the entire learning community.
InTASC Standard 3: Learning Environments
InTASC Standard 3: Learning Environments
Teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
Teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
3.a Create flexible, engaging, and equitable physical and virtual library environments that foster inquiry, creativity, collaboration, and independent activities.
Image © Russ Willms, (April 12,2022) I worked on with author-illustrator: Quiet Please.
3.b Provide and advocate for EQUITABLE ACCESS to diverse library resources and digital tools to foster learning anytime and anywhere in support of the district’s vision
At Parkview, we took old shelving units and tipped them sideways to create these lower-level cubby shelves to house all our graphic novels in both fiction and nonfiction. Now the Dewey nonfiction graphic novels are on one side and the fiction graphic novels from picture books to middle grade are on the other side, and, as shown here, they are both featured on top. Again, we followed a modified three-digit Dewey system with a series as the feature, so that all the titles for a subject will be featured together. This really moves from traditional Dewey toward a bit more of a bookstore model.
We added a new Chapter Book nook and focused on series, shifting call numbers to reflect the series title instead of author. This streamlined series and fix an issue, keeping series written by more than one author in one place. Plus, it encourages readers to stay with a series when they are visually aware, both online and on-site that their book selection is a series.
We moved all the beautifully written narrative nonfiction and biographies to the front of the library and pulled them from the traditional Dewey area and they are highlighted right at the library entrance next to the picture books, so Teachers can readily pull from these for use in the classroom.
3.c Inspire and SUPPORT SCHOOL-WIDE LITERACY through fostering student and adult interest in reading.
Book Donations
*Sibert Medal 2021
My books created, working with illustrator
Added 4 copies to encourage small groups and "chaser" reads.
Added two more copies of this title for mulitple readers.
Reading with 7th grade, have 2 copies available.
Added Crossover Graphic novel
Will add this copy after a staffer finishes reading it.
Added a copy of this first in series graphic novel series I worked on and sold.
Added a copy of this second in series graphic novel series I worked on and sold.
Added Long Way Down Graphic Novel. Teacher is using this as a compare-contrast to the freeverse novel.
Ran Webinar and Events company for 3 years. Sample Events below
Ran Webinar and Events company for 3 years. Sample Events below
InTASC Standard 4: Content Knowledge
InTASC Standard 4: Content Knowledge
Teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
Teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
4.a Model and use an INQUIRY-BASED RESEARCH process to engage all learners to think critically, gather, curate and use information, and ethically communicate their findings.
4.b Select, integrate, and USE PRINT AND DIGITAL TOOLS and resources to design, support, and adapt teaching and learning.
4.c Gather information from DIVERSE RESOURCES with multiple viewpoints and evaluate for accuracy, bias, relevance, validity, and social and cultural context.
4.d Model and communicate responsible, safe, legal, and ETHICAL USE OF INFORMATION and technology.
Prehistoric Sharks, Sharks of Long Ago
Prehistoric Sharks, Sharks of Long Ago
Research & Primary Author of DINOSHARKS!
Research & Primary Author of DINOSHARKS!
4.e Demonstrate knowledge, model, and PROMOTE ETHICAL PRACTICE in the use and protection of student data as a collaborative leader.
Q & A: Copyright & Fair Use
Q & A: Copyright & Fair Use
Q: Copyright Concern
Q: Copyright Concern
A teacher has asked for your assistance finding short stories for class reading groups. The students are grouped by reading level and each group will be reading a short story together. You recommend several collections of short stories at different reading levels and indicate particular stories within each collection that you recommend. The teacher takes the books to the copy machine and begins copying the stories you've suggested so that there are copies for each student in each reading group. The library does not currently own multiple copies of the short story collections you pulled. What do you do?
A. Copyright is Both Easier and a Little Trickier Since Covid.
A. Copyright is Both Easier and a Little Trickier Since Covid.
Problem: Copyright.
I would let the teacher know what while she can read the story aloud to her class, even record it currently (thanks to the nation's 'Covid compromise with publishers allowing for this), but making photocopies is not part of that permissions. I would encourage her to purchase a kindle copy along with an audio copy for her to share in class.
I would remind her that while we can, under "Fair Use" guidelines copy a page to do activities like have kids use it to create a Blackout Poem, we cannot copy entire chapters and distribute.
{Add in Blackout poem]
I would applaud the teacher for wanting to launch reading club studies with her class. I would suggest an anthology that would work well and could be purchased for the class:
Flying Lessons by Ellen Oh is an anthology of really great authors: Meg Medina, Jacqueline Woodson, Kwame Alexander, Matt de la Pena, and more. It also promotes We Need Diverse Book concerns.
I would also encourage her to consider a novel study. I would help her identify current titles that would work well in small groups. Then, she can explore and decide. Depending on what she’d like, I would put together a budget and have it approved. This might include books like the following:
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor (MG with a lower reading level, 310L),
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller (because it's the new, 2021 Newbery Award-winner at 590L), and
Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson (because it's a bit shorter and is just a great read, 630L)
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson (because it has a football bent)
The students are grouped by reading level and each group will be reading a story together. Another option would be to have them read the Newbery and Newbery Honor books.
Either way, I would remind her that the library does not currently own multiple copies of the short story collections or novels, so I would be happy to see what our budget allows.
This year, I've read the following books with my reading groups:
The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman, 2020. (Based on real situations in India)
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, 2017 (Black Lives Matter text and we explored the new 2021 graphic novel).
Song For A Whale by Lynne Kelly, 2019 (Based on real Loneliest Whale: add videos and compare fiction to non-fic).
When You Trap A Tiger by Tae Keller, 2021 Newbery Medal. (Based on Korean Folktale)
All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat, 2020. Newbery Honor, Sibert Honor, YALSA Nonfiction Thailand + video).
These titles have offered diversity and a great range of writing styles. Kids followed up with doing Comprehension checks on GimKitLive Challenges, created two questions for another GimKit, and wrote articles about the All Thirteen Cave Rescue using Jamboards and GimKit Ink.
Here's an example student response. I think this would be a fabulous way for students to get more involved in the library while connecting to books! Pretty fun learning so far... What do you do?
Q: For an ELA teacher exploring units on short stories, do you have short story suggestions as well?
Q: For an ELA teacher exploring units on short stories, do you have short story suggestions as well?
A: I'm a big fan of anthologies, and there are great ones available right now.
A: I'm a big fan of anthologies, and there are great ones available right now.
There are great anthologies that showcase diverse authors while honoring ALA's code: "We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights holders." Between online books, programs, and libraries, there are options that I think are evolving since we hit Covid-nation this past year. I think more good will come from the "sharing and balancing" of intellectual property rights and assets.
Here are a few anthologies I've enjoyed but I would also include those that focus on Heroes and #BlackLivesMatter and Diversity right now, making certain there are many cultures represented.
Alexander, Kwame. (2017). The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: New York, NY.
This is one fun book. I feel like schools could really see this as a "One School, One Book" book. It's shares biographies based on motivational themes. So often in schools, there are issues and behaviors, but this book really speaks to individuals who overcame great odds to persevere. There are some powerful stories in here: Wilma Rudolf, from polio child who could not walk to the fastest kid in her school to track and basketball superstar to the first women to win three medals. Her chapter is GRIT, which also positions this book as a great book to use to teach themes as well. Nice, right? Kwame organizes it this way, among his "rules."
Hudson Wade & Cheryl Willis. (September 4, 2018). We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices. Crown, Penguin: New York, NY.
This is one fun book that pays tribute to diverse authors and illustrators and poets as much as the gift that is children's literature.
Oh, Ellen. (2018). Flying Lessons & Other Stories. Yearling: New York, NY.
If you are looking for mini-stories that are easy to digest with kids in one class, these are delicious. So many outstanding authors, a real smorgasbord of stories. This is a nice option that I have used in my classes: both older and younger, so there's range. It's often hard to find that book that will travel from tweens to YA. This one delivers.
Winchell, Mike. (2015). Been There, Done That. Grossett & Dunlap, Penguin Random House: New York, NY.
This is the great anthology where many authors have told a real-life story and then shared a fiction story created based on that story. For me, this is a perfect tool for teachers looking to get ahead of that "I can't think of anything" situation. Plus, it's just fun to see how nonfiction becomes the base for fiction. We see this trend in KidLit right now, where stories are written based on true life events. Examples would be the ones shared above: Song for a Whale and The Bridge Home.
4.f Demonstrate KNOWLEDGE OF CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION AND NONFICTION LITERATURE to support diverse developmental, social, and cultural needs and interests of students.
I served as an Editorial Literary Agent on the following projects, which means I played a role in bringing the project to the bookshelf: sometimes I worked with the Author as an art director or writing coach or whole project mentor or proposal writer, often selling the projects to the publisher.
I served as an Editorial Literary Agent on the following projects, which means I played a role in bringing the project to the bookshelf: sometimes I worked with the Author as an art director or writing coach or whole project mentor or proposal writer, often selling the projects to the publisher.
Author Agent, NonfictionAmazon
Author Agent, NonfictionAmazon
Author Agent, NonfictionAmazon
Author Coach, NonfictionAmazon
My Author Project NonfictionScholastic
InTASC Standard 5: Application of Content
InTASC Standard 5: Application of Content
Teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving related to authentic local and global issues.
Teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving related to authentic local and global issues.
5.a Teach learners using multiple strategies for promoting critical thinking, identifying authentic problems, UTILIZING THE INQUIRY RESEARCH PROCESS, and innovatively solving problems.
5.b Provide opportunities for students to INTEGRATE DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP skills in a variety of contexts and to demonstrate ethical use of information and technology as they create new knowledge.
5.c Teach learners to gather information from diverse sources with multiple viewpoints and evaluate for accuracy, bias, relevance, VALIDITY, AND SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT.
5.d ENGAGE ALL LEARNERS WITH STRATEGIES that foster motivation for lifelong reading for learning and enjoyment.
InTASC Standard 6: Assessment
InTASC Standard 6: Assessment
Teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
Teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
6.a Use multiple formative and summative assessment strategies to engage learners, using the data to evaluate library programming, modify and improve instruction, and increase student learning.
6.b Collaborate with other instructional partners through all aspects of the assessment process to guide instructional practice and increase student learning.
InTASC Standard 7: Planning for Instruction
InTASC Standard 7: Planning for Instruction
Teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
7.a Plan, design, and implement integrated, research-based learning experiences based on local, state, or national standards that include inquiry, innovation, creativity, exploration, and ethical use of information.
7.b Provide opportunities for students to ENGAGE WITH DIVERSE LITERATURE and information from multiple sources for enjoyment and critical analysis.
Diverse Books Showcase
Diverse Books Showcase
Acevedo, Elizabeth. (May 5, 2020). Clap When You Land. Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins: New York, NY.
HISPANIC-PACIFIC ISLANDER CULTURE. Amazon says it best, "In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives."
Acevedo, Elizabeth. (March 6, 2018). Poet-X. Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins: New York, NY.
HISPANIC-PACIFIC ISLANDER CULTURE. Xiomara Batista, a Harlem teen "an Afro-Latina heroine, tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth."
Keller, Tae. (January 28, 2021). When You Trap A Tiger. Random House Books for Young Readers: New York, NY.
KOREAN CULTURE + FOLKTALES. This year's 2021 Newbery Winner does not disappoint. It provides a glimpse at Korean culture and folktales and presents it in an interesting way: on the cusp of life's loss and grief --all on the shirt tales of profound love. There's a great duality here in this text between reality and fantasy and it's undeniably powerful. What shows the most skill is the delicate dance between the folktales that are being shared and illuminated in reality for the main character to consider: her Halmony (grandmother) as part tiger, part girl and keeper of stories comes to terms with life's final moments and long-lasting legacy.
Kelly, Lynne. (2019). Song for a Whale. Delacourt Press/Penguin-Random House. New York: NY.
DISABILITY. So often, we forget that disability is a solid category in diversity and equity discussions. This book is a reminder. Iris, a tech genius, finds a way to convince her mother that she belongs among the other deaf children because being in a place of belong is important. Throughout the novel, this notion is compared and contrasted by the main character who identifies with 55 Hertz, a lonely whale who swims along. Like The Bridge Home, this novel is based on a real creature: The Loneliest Whale, 52 Hertz. Students can compare the real story against its presentation in this fictional account.
Leitich Smith, Cynthia. (April 14, 2020). Hearts Unbroken. Candlewick Press: Sommersville, MA.
NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE. Text to come.
Leitich Smith, Cynthia. (February 9, 2021). Rain Is Not My Indian Name. Heartdrum/HarperCollins Publishing: New York, NY.
NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE. Text to come.
Maldonado, Chrystal. (February 2, 2021). Fat Change, Charlie Vega. Holiday House: New York, NY.
LATINA CULTURE. Text to come.
Neil Wallace, Sandra and Rich Wallace. (January 5, 2021). Race Against Time: The Untold Story of Scipio Jones and the Battle to Save Twelve Innocent Men. Calkins Creek: New York, NY.
If you think you might be inspired by a life well-lived, this is the book to read. It tells the story of how one man, one formerly enslaved black lawyer dedicates years of his life and his life savings, to help a dozen men who deserve freedom.
Patterson, James & Kwame Alexander. (October 5, 2020). Becoming Muhammad Ali. Jimmy Imprint/Little, Brown Books for Young People: New York, NY.
BLACK CULTURE. A biography told by two award-winning authors and presents a unique story structure and not-often-done first -person point of view in biography. Patterson and Alexander deliver a novel that's told in prose and freeverse.
Parker Rhodes, Jewell. (2020). Black Brother, Black Brother. Little, Brown Books for Young People: New York, NY.
BIRACIAL + BLACK CULTURE. Two black brothers explore the black and biracial complexities of our society and present the reader with a keen understanding that it is in no way right to make for the discussion about how complexion can be a complex issue. A tangled knot of sorts. And sort of messed up. This book shares untangles that mess while teaching fencing from a legend of the sport and places Mom, who is a lawyer, at the bench to speak her truth beside her two boys: One charged. One not. Both equally loved.
Reynolds, Jason. (2017) Long Way Down. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books: New York, NY.
BLACK PERSPECTIVE. One boy. A Brother shot. A choice to make: Will I avenge my brothers death and "follow the rules" or will not? This book has received many awards and for good reason. It should be a part of any exploration on diversity -- AND it's the best book to use when studying PLOT. It follows the plot diagram explicitly and then serves up a surprise that will bust out and boost discussions at the very end. There's reason why this book was dubbed by Jason Reynolds, himself, as "Boyz in the Hood meets A Christmas Carol." It's a Newbery Honor Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, a Printz Honor Book, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner for Young Adult Literature, longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, winner of the Walter Dean Myers Award, an Edgar Award Winner for Best Young Adult Fiction, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner, an Entertainment Weekly Best YA Book of 2017, a Vulture Best YA Book of 2017, and a Buzzfeed Best YA Book of 2017.
Slater, Dashka. (October 17, 2017). The 57 Bus: a true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives. Farrar, Straus and Giroux: New York, NY.
LGBTQ CULTURE. A conversation How we treat others burst open in this text. The approach and structure is worth a close and careful study. It opens with the sentence and outcomes: Richard to prison, facing trial as an adult despite being a teen. Sasha, who identifies as gender neutral, faces suffering and multiple surgeries to survive what happened to her. Then, the story unfolds to alternate between each character's point of view and the hard facts about the criminal justice system, and is presented in a way that makes the reader aware that, perhaps, the whole system is on trial.
Soontornvat, Christina. (October 13, 2020) All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team. Candlewick Press: Somerville, MA
THAI CULTURE. An intense view of the daily struggles and science behind teh Thai Boy's Soccer Team rescue in Thailand. The approach to this unfolding nonfiction narrative could be compared to The 57 Bus: a true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives by Dashka Slater. Both titles reside in that space where STEM and a firm journalistic pen collide to bring an event to life for a reader. This title makes a great read-aloud and conversation about how much STEM plays a role in everyday life. The way the rescuers had to analyze the mountains, the rainfall, and the riskiness of the rescue against the boys and rescuers' safety comes across in this text. A 2021 Newbery Honor Book, a 2021 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, a 2021 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist.
Thomas, Angie. ( ). The Hate U Give.
BLACK CULTURE. A 2018 Newbery Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, and Michael L. Prinz Honor Book, The Hate U Give begins with a horrific incident. A black teen gets killed for reaching for a comb or hairbrush. And Starr, who was with him at the time, cannot come to terms with what happened but is also having trouble finding her voice to stand up and speak out about what happened. A nice compare-contrast title for The 57 Bus. Lots to discuss and a random tid bit: my favorite word in this novel: is so perfectly placed: "Exactdamnly."
Venkatraman, Padma. (2020).The Bridge Home. A Nancy Paulsen Book/Penguin-Random House Books: New York, NY.
INDIA CULTURE. Travel to India where we find two sisters, Viji and Rukku, decides to leave home to find and redefine family as street urchins who learn to forge a life for themselves. This novel offers the opportunity to explore the true story beneath this text (shared in the author note), discuss and compare the rupee to the American dollar, and delve into what makes up great dialogue--and the power of action tags versus regular tags in our storytelling. Dialogue and using it to differentiate the characters in this book is one of this book's best attributes.
7.c IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO FLEXIBLE AND EQUITABLE access to the library collection, resources, and services and design plans that provide solutions.
Pulled from picture book collection and created an E Every Reader or L Leveled Reader section to better support new readers
Collected all the R Real Story Biographies and Narrative Nonfiction for easy teacher access: Middle grade and Picture Book true stories
Pulled all G Graphic Novels, Fiction and Nonfiction from areas of the library and created a designated space for them.
Collected all the traditional C Chapter Book (and early middle grades) and housed them together in a section for books under 800L
7.d Collect, analyze, and act on data and information to CREATE AND IMPLEMENT LIBRARY PLANS FOR PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT in order to fully support the school community.
R Real Story Nonfiction - Middle Readers
R Real Story Nonfiction - Middle Readers
I moved these from Dewey to create an exceptional reference library—compiling the Best of the Best—within the library. These are the books we would want staff to use in the classroom. and they are also the books we want kids to read—another option to reading fictional stories. We implemented this with a 3-Digit Dewey system like R 920 ANDRAKA to connect to curriculum and programs.
L Leveled Readers - Fiction and Nonfiction
L Leveled Readers - Fiction and Nonfiction
We pulled all the leveled readers and shelved them by series: L HENRY for Henry and Mudge, L FLYGUY for Fly Guy Series. This immediately helped our littles and newest readers know exactly where to find the books that would best help them learn to read. We added a L 590 OCTOPUS section on as well, so that all the leveled reader books were in one cohesive section.
InTASC Standard 8: Instructional Strategies
InTASC Standard 8: Instructional Strategies
Teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
Teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
8.a Use a variety of instructional strategies to create multiple opportunities for all learners to inquire and explore, engage in critical thinking, construct new understandings, and create new knowledge in order to support their learning goals.
8.b Integrate technology into a wide variety of instructional strategies to support and ensure learners have multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency and pursue lifelong learning.
8.c Engage learners with strategies that promote, encourage, and support reading for learning, understanding, and enjoyment.
InTASC Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
InTASC Standard 9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
Teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
Teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
9.a Acknowledge bias while continually working to select and evaluate information from diverse perspectives, considering accuracy, bias, validity, relevance, and social and cultural context.
9.b Collaboratively develop and implement district policies and procedures reflecting ethical professional practice, equitable access, and alignment with district vision, as well as state and federal laws.
9.c Intentionally model and promote safe, responsible, legal, and ethical use of information and technology, including copyright, intellectual freedom, and data privacy.
9.d Reflect upon learning needs and engage in appropriate professional learning activities
9.e Articulate the role of library programming and resources in promoting student growth and learning.
InTASC Standard 10: Leadership and Collaboration
InTASC Standard 10: Leadership and Collaboration
Teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, and other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.
Teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, and other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.
10.a Actively participate on school and district teams dedicated to strategic planning, curriculum development, budgeting (including Common School Fund expenditures), and other solutions that FOSTER STUDENT GROWTH AND STRENGTHEN THE ROLE OF THE LIBRARY PROGRAM.
R Real Story Nonfiction and Biography
R Real Story Nonfiction and Biography
We pulled these books out to aid instruction. Teachers do not need to look up best books; they are now housed and classified as the best of the best selections in nonfiction. This streamlines efficiencies and use of these nonfiction books is a notable best practice in the classroom, so this makes it easy to select and go.
C Chapter Book Fiction
C Chapter Book Fiction
We created a new C Chapter Book Fiction section in the Middle School library to help reading interventionist and teachers needing to know where the lower reading leveled books are hosted. This makes books like these accessible to students without the plague of lower-reading level dots, which most lower readers find humiliating.
10.b Collect and effectively UTILIZE DATA TO INFORM LIBRARY PLANNING/PROGRAMMING DECISIONS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
10.c Identify, provide, and ADVOCATE FOR SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS...physical, intellectual, social, geographic, and economic...BARRIERS TO ACCESS OF INFORMATION AND SERVICES.
10.d EMPLOY AND EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIGITAL TOOLS AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES with the learning community to support successful learning experiences.
10.e PLAN AND IMPLEMENT ONGOING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING USING MULTIPLE STRATEGIES, INCLUDING COACHING, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EDUCATORS improving their teaching practice and student learning, as well as increasing awareness of social justice and diversity.
4.b Select, integrate, and USE PRINT AND DIGITAL TOOLS and resources to design, support, and adapt teaching and learning.
Shark Research to Engaging Classroom Projects
Shark Research to Engaging Classroom Projects
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