As a Muslim, I have always loved cats. Dogs, not so much. I grew up in a traditional family where dogs were something to fear, often labelled as haram, and kept at a distance. Over the years, through reading, learning, and reflecting, I have come to better understand what Islam actually teaches about dogs, with far more nuance, compassion, and humanity than I once knew. This picture book gently mirrors that journey for me. “Street Puppy, Masjid Cat” tells the story of an unli

I have used “Lubna and Pebble” for many years as a read aloud in Grades 1 to 3. It has always been a text I returned to for its quiet tenderness. It was through Sarah Cordova’s new book, “The Power of Picture Books in Student Identity”, that I began to teach with this story more intentionally, particularly through the lens of refugee and immigrant identity. During book club on Friday, my Grade 3 students used this book as a mentor text to write about their own challenges. Wha

A couple of weeks ago, I read “Broken” by X. Fang.
 It is one of those books I kept thinking about while doing other things. While setting up my classroom. While watching my students work. While noticing how quick we are to hide cracks. Today, I came across another book that felt connected in a way I did not expect. “Perfect” by Waka T. Brown, illustrated by Yuko Jones, introduces children to kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. What I appreciate

This book is such a tender ode to siblings, especially sisters. Together We Are Sunshine follows three sisters through an imaginative outdoor adventure, told through the eyes of the middle sister, Haala. The looking up to an older sister. The quiet frustration with a younger one. The very real in-between feelings that come with being a middle child. As they kiss the sun, dance with the wind, and listen for the secrets of the world around them, something shifts. Annoyance soft

Some stories meet you exactly where your memories live. “Broken” by X. Fang did that for me. At the heart of this book is a truth I hold close. Every patch and every repair tells a story. Mei Mei’s mistake. The guilt. The fear of disappointing someone you love. Her journey toward honesty and forgiveness felt deeply real and tender. This story brought me back to my first year teaching Grade 1 and our class pet, Coco the monkey. Coco went home with every child, collecting stori

This nonfiction read aloud sparked instant intrigue in my classroom. “I’m Trying to Love Farts”by Bethany Barton uses humour to deliver real science, and my students leaned all the way in. What stayed with me most was the language. Children confidently using new words like flatulence, asking thoughtful questions, and explaining ideas with precision. A reminder that curiosity, humour, and strong informational texts can deepen vocabulary and understanding in powerful ways.

Today was the last day of school for the term. We ended with a lovely read aloud, which was just right for the season. The Gift of Words by Peter H Reynolds. Jerome, a word collector, moves around his neighbourhood in search of hopeful words. Holiday words. Words of joy. But instead he finds noise. Commercialised messages. Headlines that dim the spirit. So he does what word collectors do best. He returns to the words that matter. The words that heal and lift. The words that i

I feel so privileged to have a copy of “Sparkles for Sunny”, and even more grateful that I had the chance to meet Sylvia Chen at the NCTE conference in Denver. Our conversation stays with me. She shared the heart behind her characters and the tender dilemmas young children navigate. Listening to her speak about Sunny felt like being invited into the quiet heartbeat of the story. It was an honour. What better way to end the term than with a read aloud of Sparkles for Sunny. I

Every Christmas I find myself reaching for the same book, “Saturdays and Tea Cakes” by Lester Laminack, illustrated by Chris Soentpiet. It has become my quiet tradition. It is the one story that still slows me down and reminds me what matters. Today, with the term winding down and after yesterday’s cookies and desserts, I read it again to my class. Watching their faces as the imagery took over reminded me why I return to this book year after year. Lester writes with such care

Read Aloud Tuesday with “Catnap” by Brian Lies
Today’s read aloud took us on the funniest chase across time and art. This gorgeous picture book follows a curious cat who ends up lost inside ten famous masterpieces while chasing a mouse (or maybe a few). My favourite part as an adult reader is the section at the back where Brian Lies walks us through how he recreated each artwork. It feels like a tiny behind the scenes tour of his creative process. Many of my students are loya

Today my students and I revisited this beautiful picture book “The Girl Who Thought in Pictures “as part of our biography writing unit. Many of them have chosen to research Dr Temple Grandin and I could not be more proud of the conversations happening in our classroom. This book opens an important doorway for young writers. It helps them understand that a biography is more than a collection of facts. It is a story of courage, creativity, and the many ways a mind can work. Dr

At NCTE’s Children’s Book Award Ceremony, I picked up The “Mistakes That Made Us” by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, beautifully illustrated by Mercè López. I always tell my kids, “When you don’t make any mistakes, you don’t learn anything new.”
This collection captures that truth with honesty and heart. Twenty poets share the very real, very human mistakes they made as children – the silly dares, the last-minute homework panic, the words said too fast, the pranks that went

The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman and illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard is one of those books that stays with you. Pari and her mother travel across town on the library bus to bring books, hope and possibility to girls who are denied the right to learn. It is inspiring and eye opening, and it sparked rich and thoughtful conversations in our Grade 3 classroom. During our Book Buzz, my students were struck by the courage of Pari’s mother and the idea that one person’s actions can

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

It’s Halloween, and what better way to celebrate than with “To Catch a Ghost” by Rachel Michelle Wilson? My Grade 3s already adore her hilarious “How to Pee Your Pants“ and once again, they were not disappointed! This story had us laughing out loud one moment and quietly reflecting the next. The premise itself is fun — a kid trying to catch a ghost for show-and-tell — but the execution? Absolutely brilliant. There’s so much heart hidden beneath the humour, and the ending caug

I was honoured to receive an ARC of “Mazahir’s Marvelous First Fast”. It is Astory that immediately joined my Ramadan and Eid collection. Mazahir’s journey through her first fast is filled with warmth, honesty and determination. It captures the heart of Ramadan — patience, reflection and kindness — through the eyes of a child who simply wants to do her best. 
As an educator in an international school I often meet children experiencing their first fast and teachers learning ho

Music of the Mountains by Sabrina Shah, illustrated by Manal Mirza This story touched me deeply. it’s such a tender celebration of how music and tradition can bridge generations. My class and I talked about what parts of our own cultures have been passed down from our parents and grandparents — from German songs and Indian festivals to Korean recipes and Dutch bedtime stories. The children were so proud to share their own family traditions, and it made this read-aloud even mo