Today’s read aloud was “Beansprout” by Sarah Lynne Reul — and my class took the story straight into their hands. After the last page, they looked at me and said, “Can we grow our own?” So we did. Watching them scoop soil, choose their sprout, and whisper little hopes into their cups… it reminded me how learning feels when it’s rooted in joy, curiosity, and care. Small hands. Small seeds. Big magic!

Today we wrapped up our poetry unit with the gentle, soul soothing picture book” Dear Treefrog “by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Diana Sudyka. This story in verse is beautiful, tender, and full of quiet strength. My students connected deeply with the little girl who finds comfort, courage, and companionship in a small treefrog while settling into a new home. As the seasons change, she watches the life around her. She notices insects, flowers, sounds, and sensations and lear

Everything grows in Jiddo’s Garden” by Jenan A. Matari, illustrated by Aya Ghanameh, is a tender and beautifully illustrated story about belonging and home. It starts with a girl who lives far away from Palestine. She has never been to Palestine, yet loves it. As she discusses and imbibes Jiddo’s “green thumb superpowers, we learn that a garden is more than a collection of plants – it is memory, hope and connection. “Even when the dark clouds sully the sun and makes the days

I read “My Brother is Away” to my class today, and the room grew quiet in that kind of way when children are deeply listening — feeling. 
Almost instantly, they began making text-to-text connections with Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña — both stories where a child processes absence, love, and complicated feelings through imagination and quiet strength. Just as books like “Milo Imagines the World” and “Visiting Day” by Jacqueline Woodson do, this story opens a gentl