A hilarious companion to I Wanna Iguana. Ever since their baby sister came along, Alex has been forced to share a room with his little brother, Ethan, and it's a nightmare. Ethan always breaks stuff, snores like a walrus, and sticks crayons up his nose. No hardworking, well-behaved, practically grown-up boy like Alex should have to put up with that! Writing letters to his mom convinced her to let him get his pet iguana, so Alex puts pencil to paper again, this time determined to get his own room. Though all of his powers of persuasion can't get his dad to expand the house, he does come through with a fun alternative to give Alex some space of his own.

Hilarious notes between a son and his mom show how kid logic can be very persuasive. Alex just has to convince his mom to let him have an iguana, so he puts his arguments in writing. He promises that she won't have to feed it or clean its cage or even see it if she doesn't want to. Of course Mom imagines life with a six-foot-long iguana eating them out of house and home. Alex's reassures her: It takes fifteen years for an iguana to get that big. I'll be married by then and probably living in my own house His mom's reply: How are you going to get a girl to marry you when you own a giant reptile? Kis will be in hysterics as the negotiations go back and forth through notes, and the lively, imaginative illustrations showing their polar opposite dreams of life with an iguana take the humor to even higher heights.

Another hilarious companion to I Wanna Iguana. Alex is not happy about being sent to his grandparents’ retirement community while his parents go on a fabulous vacation. What could be worse than tagging along to Grandma’s boring bridge game or enduring the sight of Grandpa’s dentures? But as the week goes on, Alex’s desperate emails to his parents turn into stories about ice cream before dinner and stickball with Grandpa. Before he knows it, Alex has made a surprising discovery: grandparents are way cooler than he thought! Masterfully balancing hilarity and heart, Karen Kaufman Orloff and Dave Catrow deliver a story sure to entertain kids and grandparents everywhere.

A boy imagines how much more fun he and his dog could have if only the dog would learn to talk.

Dusty the library book has never been borrowed and dreams of finding someone to share his story with. Will he every find the perfect reader? A celebration of libraries, sharing stories and the magic of reading.

This remarkable book shows teachers how to inspire students to learn to write and write to learn. Committed to the premise that all students can learn to write with appropriate teaching, modelling, and practice, it argues that reading and writing go hand in hand. Through reading, writing and the inevitable discussions that follow, students learn from the experiences of others, open their minds to many possibilities, gain a glimpse into new worlds, make connections to their lives, and reflect on their own choices and learning. This practical book shows you how to use freewriting and powerful mentor texts to create classrooms where students enjoy putting pencil to paper and taking the necessary risks to grow and flourish as writers.

Whether used for thematic story times, program and curriculum planning, readers' advisory, or collection development, this updated edition of the well-known companion makes finding the right picture books for your library a breeze. Generations of savvy librarians and educators have relied on this detailed subject guide to children's picture books for all aspects of children's services, and this new edition does not disappoint. Covering more than 18,000 books published through 2017, it empowers users to identify current and classic titles on topics ranging from apples to zebras. Organized simply, with a subject guide that categorizes subjects by theme and topic and subject headings arranged alphabetically, this reference applies more than 1,200 intuitive (as opposed to formal catalog) subject terms to children's picture books, making it both a comprehensive and user-friendly resource that is accessible to parents and teachers as well as librarians. It can be used to identify titles to fill in gaps in library collections, to find books on particular topics for young readers, to help teachers locate titles to support lessons, or to design thematic programs and story times. Title and illustrator indexes, in addition to a bibliographic guide arranged alphabetically by author name, further extend access to titles.

This practical book is full of quick and easy-to-use lessons that promote meaningful writing practice. Teachers will find strategies organized alphabetically and in a consistent format that will inspire students to plan, develop, and share their writing. The lessons allow teachers to choose what they need to meet the diverse needs of students in grades one through eight. Each independent lesson guides students through the writing process with information about a writing form, along with suggested literature sources. Tips throughout the book will help students successfully write to narrate, to inform, to entertain, to persuade, to respond, and to enjoy.

Reissue of ILA bestseller. To become truly college and career ready, students need to be able to communicate effectively in writing, and teachers need to be confident and prepared to teach writing in ways that motivate, encourage, and challenge students to higher levels. In this practical volume, a stellar group of researchers and classroom educators come together to provide instructional strategies that can increase student engagement and motivation to write. Write Now! empowers K–6 classroom teachers to make key instructional decisions that benefit all learners. This user-friendly e-book includes practical tips, strategies, techniques, and concrete examples to help expand the writing expertise of both typical and challenged learners. Contributors: Rose Cappelli, Amber B. Chambers, Lynne R. Dorfman, Kathy Ganske, Matt Glover, Steve Graham, Dana L. Grisham, Karen R. Harris, Julia D. Houston, Jon-Philip Imbrenda, Carol Jago, Karen A. Pelekis, Carole C. Phillips, Timothy Shanahan, Linda Smetana, Michael W. Smith, Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Thomas DeVere Wolsey “Writing fluently and with cohesion is essential for all young children to master because it is a gateway skill for higher learning. Ganske’s approach makes the most of current research on writing and makes it instantly applicable to the classroom.” —Nancy Frey, San Diego State University

This insightful book offers a modern take on the time-honored tradition of developmentally appropriate, child-centered, constructivist philosophy of instruction: Teaching children one at a time, yet all at once. The book provides a comprehensive road map to teaching that supports student engagement, child development, classroom environment, grouping and organization, authentic literacy instruction, and culturally informed practices. Through a series of practical chapter essays and examples, the authors push back against scripted curricula and "one-size-fits-all" school initiatives, offering instead rich examples and guiding questions to bring you closer to an authentic teaching approach that honors students and their learning. Designed for early childhood through third-grade teachers, principals, administrators, and pre-service students, Constructivist Teaching by Heart is essential reading for professional development, peer discussions, university coursework, individual study, and everyone on the journey to making children the heart of their classrooms.