Usually I write about children’s books, but this week I’m sharing a gem for grown-ups recommended by my friend, Annemarie Johnson. (Annemarie is a gifted teacher and educational consultant, and her website: http://www.teacher2teacherhelp.com is bursting with great information.) I’ve been thinking quite a bit about nonfiction, so with the school year winding down and summer months opening up some time for me to read professional development books, I’m reading A Place of Wonder: Reading and Writing Nonfiction in the Primary Grades by Georgia Heard and Jennifer McDonough. I love the idea of creating a “wonder center” with treasures like pine cones and rocks kids bring in plus plastic magnifying glasses and informational books and paper to draw and record observations. Even the suggestion of stocking classroom shelves with more nonfiction picture books and having students decide how the books should be sorted makes sense to me. If you have great nonfiction books you use with your young students, please feel free to share in the comments what works for you. This summer, I will read and wonder, plan and share.
Guess Who Is Out of the Den?
