Category: #BookLove

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What Do The Different Book Awards Mean?

Have you ever looked at a book title, noticed an award on the front cover, and wondered what exactly it meant? A shiny gold medal on the front is really cool, but if you don’t know the meaning, what merit does it have? 

I’ve fallen victim to this myself! I see library books on the shelves and think, “Oooh this one has an award on the front, it’s probably a great one to read!” and typically, it is! But what does the award even mean? What are the different awards? How do they compare to one another? 

Here’s a list of each of the awards, and each week I’ll be doing a deeper dive into each one. I could fit them all into one post, but I feel like each of them deserve plenty of space and their own designated post so that we don’t have to skip out on details! They’re all unique and remarkable in their own way and don’t deserve to be given any less than the best. 

The awards I will be covering are: 

Pulitzer Prize Award
Caldecott Award
Newberry Medal Award
Booker Prize
Goodreads Choice Awards
National Book Award
Women’s Prize for Fiction
PEN/ Faulkner Prize
Edgar Award

Is there an award missing on this list that you’d like to see highlighted? Let me know and I’ll add it to my list! 

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How Our Summer Reading Bingo Went

Earlier in the summer I posted a free Summer Reading Bingo printable that I made quickly for my daughter and myself to enjoy over the summer months and shared it with all of you. I also printed out a few copies and put them in our local library for our community to enjoy! Many kids used the bingo chart and the library even generously supplied them with stickers and suckers when they got a bingo! 

At our house, the bingo chart was a fun, low-pressure way to promote summer reading. I never offered an incentive, just the idea of getting bingo was incentive enough! 

We spent our summer days reading in trees, pulling out books at meal times, and finding new books to hit all of our new genres to try. My child would go for weeks without even acknowledging the bingo page and then she would go several days trying to accomplish as many as possible. 

It was all child-led and at her speed. It was a beautiful relationship that fostered her own love for reading! 

We’ve had so many friends interested in another reading bingo that we’ll be posting a new fall/back-to-school reading bingo in the coming months! I’ve also started some quick brainstorming for a Christmas reading bingo as well. 

Thanks for coming along on this ride with us, here’s to more independent, self-motivated reading kids!

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Five Ways to Help You Pick the Right Book

When it’s time to pick a book, how do you know what’s good for you? Here are a few ideas: 

  1. Ask a trusted friend: It’s tried and true! If you have friends with the same book interests as you, they may have a good title up their sleeve to suggest. 
  2. Look for books with awards: Caldecott, Newberry, etc. If they have an award on their cover, it means it’s a good choice! 
  3. If you’re in a library, look for books that have multiple copies: If a library has multiple copies on hand, it means they have a lot of interest in the book and it’s in high demand. 
  4. Ask a teacher: Teachers are really good at a lot of things, but recommending books is a talent high up on their list. 
  5. Ask a librarian: If there’s anyone more qualified to recommend a book, it’s a librarian. Even if they don’t know you personally.

Bonus: Read many of the book lists that we’ve curated here on our blog! Books are a big part of our lives and sharing them with you brings us joy.

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Back To School Picture Books

Back to school is approaching (or has approached?) for many! We are about a month away from starting school and I know several schools have either started or will be starting soon as well. We’ve been pulling out back-to-school picture books in our house to get us prepped for the big day. These books are not only great for reading at home before school starts, or to read to your class on the first day of school.

How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jean Reagan

We love the “How To” series, the humor of this book gives the first day of school a fun, exciting vibe.

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

This book comes from one of my favorite authors. I love the inclusivity and perspective of this book.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Also a favorite author in our house. This book has a soft spot in my heart because it was the book my first-grade teacher read to the class on the first day of school (back in 1999!)

School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex

This perspective shift the book is written in makes it captivating and fun.

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Picture Books for Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! We’re celebrating the holiday in our favorite way… With picture books, of course! Here are a few we’ve read this year to learn more about Independence Day and what it means to America. 

Red, White, and BOOM! By Lee Wardlaw

What Is America? By Michelle Medlock Adams

F is For Flag by Wendy Cheyette Lewison

My Fourth of July by Jerry Spinelli 

Stars, Stripes, and Smiles by Tex Stanly 

Cover Photo by: Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/blur-bright-celebrate-celebration-236243/

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Five Picture Books for Juneteenth

Juneteenth is coming up, and what better day to celebrate and learn about a holiday than with picture books? Here are 5 books that we’ve read in the past years that we’ve loved and have learned so much from that we want to share with you.

A Flag For Juneteenth by Kim Taylor

Opal Lee And What It Means to Be Free by Alice Faye Duncan

Almost to Freedom by Baunda Micheaux Nelson

The Juneteenth Story by Alliah L. Agostini

All Different Now by Angela Johnson

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Picture Books We Are Currently Reading on Repeat

Here are a handful of books we are currently loving: 

Roy’s Pancake Problem by Hailey Hall 

A fun book about a little boy that loved creating new pancakes every day, but had to problem-solve when his mom said enough! 

You Are a Beautiful Beginning by Nina Laden 

This is one of those books that make you tear up when you read it because you know the words are so very true and you can only hope your students are internalizing them. 

underGROUND by Denise Fleming 

It’s not springtime without digging in the dirt and finding bugs! This book is great for those dirt-digging, bug-loving kids! 

Which picture books do you have on repeat in your classroom right now?