Imagination Soup shares curated book reviews, book lists, and learning resources for parents, teachers, and librarians. As a former teacher, former literacy trainer, and a mother of two, you can trust my expertise in children's books, reading levels, developmental appropriateness, and education. Join my community of 35,000 subscribers by signing up for my weekly newsletter!
New Picture Books, Lunar New Year, & Book Club Books
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Are your readers making reading goals and reflecting on who they are as readers? It's empowering to set goals, take steps to achieve those goals, and reflect on your progress. (I think reflection is one of the most powerful tools we can teach children, don't you?) It may be helpful to discuss the Rights of the Readers with your students and children and read about my process for goal setting with kids. New Picture Books (Ages 4 - 8)The new year in picture books features funny, sweet, and interactive stories for ages 4 to 8. New Chapter Books (Ages 5 - 8)Keep your growing readers reading good books with these new chapter book titles with adventure, a love of animals, and friendship. Free Virtual Author Visit to Empower Young WritersAward-winning children’s book author Ellen Potter is offering Imagination Soup educators the chance to book her for a free virtual school visit with 10 preorders of her forthcoming chapter book, Squirlish: Central Park Ghost. In her visit, Ellen will share how authors find story ideas, create vivid characters, and harness the power of revision--followed by a lively Q & A. This is only available to the first 20 schools who contact Ellen. Offer expires March 1! Lunar New Year Books (Ages 4 - 10)Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake, begins on January 29. I have 16 children's book recommendations about Lunar New Year for you to share with children. Black History Month Biographies (Ages 4 - 12)Check out these inspiring and informational biographies about the lives, experiences, struggles, achievements, and contributions of Black individuals throughout history to the present day. Book Club Book Lists (Ages 7 - 12)Want to make reading social? Start a book club! I've updated my recommendations of discussion-worthy books that are thought-provoking, relatable, and relevant to children's lives. --> Need info to get started? Read "How to Start a Book Club". Get your kids talking about ANY book with a list of open-ended questions. Grab the FREE printable download here. Book Lists with Printable Lists: Happy reading! Love, Melissa --> If you know someone who would like this newsletter, they can subscribe here. –> If you're a children's book creator, check out my new business, Imaginarium Author Solutions. Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | LinkedIn | Amazon | Blue Sky |
Hi! I'm a Melissa Taylor of Imagination Soup.
Imagination Soup shares curated book reviews, book lists, and learning resources for parents, teachers, and librarians. As a former teacher, former literacy trainer, and a mother of two, you can trust my expertise in children's books, reading levels, developmental appropriateness, and education. Join my community of 35,000 subscribers by signing up for my weekly newsletter!
Writing - Closing the Loop Like many of you, I'm obsessed with mysteries—novels, detective series, and crime podcasts. People love a good mystery because we crave resolution. A mystery presents us with an open loop—an unresolved puzzle. We need to close the loop to feel satisfied. But writing, especially long-form projects like novels, forces us to live with an open loop for months or even years. That lingering uncertainty can feel pretty discouraging. When you sit down to work on your novel,...
Big news in the children's publishing industry. This morning, the Newbery and Caldecott medal and honor books were awarded by the American Library Association Youth Media. (Along with more awards, too!) The below image gives you a hint. Check out the winners! What do you think? Who did they miss? If you want to refresh your memory of what won in the past, here are the last two years winners: 2024 Newbery & Caldecott Awards 2023 Newbery & Caldecott Awards Have a great week, and happy reading!...
Hello, creative friends! Author / Illustrator Life Are you in a season of wintering? I (Melissa) had coffee with a group of SCBWI writers and illustrators last week, and they talked about how it’s hard to be creative during heavy times. It’s true. We have to have grace with ourselves in these seasons. In the book Wintering by Katherine May, she writes, “We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again.” We hope...