May 23 is Margaret Wise Brown’s birthday. I can say with confidence that we all know her best as the author of Goodnight Moon. It’s a classic story that will always be soothing for littles. Why? Because it deals with common objects and scenes from a young child’s world. It may drive us crazy reading…
One of my favorite activities during the school day is reading aloud to students. I think it’s because I have such good memories of being read to and I want students to experience that as well. So of course I have favorite books to read aloud. I know you do too! One of my favorites…
What began as a legitimate blog topic has ended up being a cautionary tale on how you can’t trust the Internet, my teacher friends. While searching for a topic for today’s blog, I discovered that children’s book author Gail Gibbons has a birthday on September 1…or so I was led to believe. I put the…
This summer is the 30th Anniversary of The Magic Tree House! (It kind of blows my mind that 1992 was 30 years ago…but that’s neither here nor there.) The series, written by Mary Pope Osbourne, currently consists of 36 books. As a young adult, Mary traveled extensively and she was enthralled with the sights, sounds,…
It’s Felicia Bond’s birthday today. I know that you know who Felicia Bond is—even if you think you don’t. 🙂 She’s the illustrator that created the adorable critters for the “If You Give…” series of books. How many of the books can you name without googling? I tried this and I was way off. Hint:…
This Friday, June 10, is Maurice Sendak’s birthday. He’s of course known best for his picture book, Where the Wild Things Are, and other books for children. But his experiences were wide and varied, including designing sets and costumes for both ballets and operas, producing animated specials for children, and advising the Children’s Television Workshop…
Did you know The Mailbox® provides activities for tons of picture books on our website—and we have all the books in a handy list. Click here to check out the literature list and other featured topics for your grade level. I’m the managing editor for the preschool magazine, so I decided to count the number…
Tomorrow, November 9, is author Lois Ehlert’s birthday. Unfortunately, she passed away in May of this year, but her legacy will live on in her many fabulous picture books for children. She authored 38 books, 28 of which she also illustrated. Her books, Leaf Man; Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf; and Nuts to You! were fall…
February 2 is Judith Viorst’s birthday. When I looked up information on this beloved author, I discovered that she’ll be turning 90 this year. (90!!) Then I looked up her most popular picture book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and discovered it was published the year I was born. I…
September is Curiosity Month! I have a suspicion that you’re a curious person. Why? Because you’re a teacher and you love learning. And all teachers want to encourage curiosity in their students. It certainly worked with me. Curiosity leads me down the Internet rabbit hole frequently. That’s how I came upon the knowledge that a…