Curator Bookshelves

Here are some great books to celebrate National Cat Day on October 29, 2023! Read More

Books create space for caregivers to invite children into a topic that may be challenging for them to articulate their feelings about and discuss. Books naturally scaffold and differentiate when we read with our kids, let them take the lead in conversations, and give them options for response like art, building, movement, discussion, and quietude. Here are some topics caregivers often request titles for and some texts I recommend to broaden the perspective on the topic so young readers can find mulitple connections and points of entry for response: Read More

JoEllen McCarthy champions the power of read alouds and explores her vision for this work for teachers, families, and students in her book, Layers of Learning: Using Read Alouds to Connect Literacy and Caring Conversations. JoEllen believes there is no tool more powerful than a picture book and sharing stories can promote a love of oneself, a love of learning, and through a heartprint framework reflect limitless possibilities for both! She demonstrates the ways we can layer our academic and affective standards using books as our coteachers for lessons in reading, writing, and life! To invite conversations to do this work, you can check out her ever changing “unlist of books.” This will help to shift your thinking from that book… to books that….” because beyond the books, some of the most important lessons we can teach are often those led by children, stirred by a read aloud. Read More

Please enjoy a special discount of 20% off the titles of your choice using the code JENNIFERLAGARDE. Here are Jennifer’s top picks! Read More

Please enjoy a special discount of 20% off the titles of your choice using the code COLBYSHARP. And below, we collected the favorite books of Colby Sharp. Read More

A community is where we come together to work, play, and get to know each other. It is a vibrant environment filled with the love and complexity that is our humanity. We share tender moments with those we love and those moments spill into our streets as we call for justice and peace. As we work together, we use our individual stories to build a stronger community where we are rooted in love, joy, and laughter. Please enjoy a special discount of 15% off the titles of your choice using the code Edgar15. Read More

Below are some of Franki Sibberson's favorite titles for children in pre-school, pre-k and kindergarten. Please enjoy a special discount of 20% off the titles of your choice using the code Franki20. Read More

Some families have deep rooted traditions around food and breaking bread together. Some other families have their own ways of spending time outdoors, and some families try to figure out who they are in between places. These are just some of the topics that are explored in this list of picture books that honor the little details that make families’ experiences unique. Read More

 I often think through three questions whenever I select books for my students. The first question I ask myself is, can my students access the vocabulary and language across the book? Secondly, are my students’ appearances and/or cultures represented in the story? And lastly, could the story excite my kids to share their own stories with each other? In other words, I look at vocabulary, representation, and relatability. When a book meets all three components, my heart explodes. I’ve found a gem, a book that I might buy multiple copies of over the years because the kids might want their own copy to read and re-read. There’s nothing more special than a story that makes a child feel that they belong both in our classroom and in our country.  Read More

Available for purchase at $185 per collection.  All books are hardcover and purchase includes a special memento from John Schu.   Primary (Kindergarten-2nd) Schu Box -- 14 titles   [booklist_table isbn="9781250903136,9781536204582,9781536204520,9781682631669,9781536207040,9781419760112,9781536201314,9780759554870,9781536222791,9781536224818,9781523525713,9781547600564,9781338896435,9781523526581"] Intermediate (3rd-5th) Schu Box -- 14 titles   [booklist_table isbn="9781536224818,9780593306321,9781419761188,9780063221123,9781339013985,9780063032798,9780063113923,9781534488335,9781338759150,9780062956705,9780399557637,9781338896435,9780545850032,9781728259536"] Middle School (6th-9th) Schu Box -- 14 titles   [booklist_table isbn="9781534488335,9781536229097,9781536201369,9780593323793,9780063337312,9780062956705,9781728259536,9780593406328,9781524718923,9781481465830,9781984830296,9781338735673,978006287000,9780063238145,9780062870001"] Read More