Each year, Inly’s 3rd grade students mark the end of their Lower Elementary years by completing a project based on their combined work in the Library and the DaVinci Studio. The project has varied, but it’s typically something connected with Caldecott Award winners. We begin by introducing how picture books work, looking at illustration styles and learning some basic picture book vocabulary: spine, gutter, border. They especially enjoy learning the definition of “bleed” which is an illustration that runs off of the page’s edges. Next, we move to applying what they have learned in a creative w ..read more

Inly’s summer reading list is almost finished – a few more books to add, and it will be ready for kids (and parents) to look at before they head to the library or bookstore. Each year, I begin the process by cycling out a few titles that have been on the list for awhile and deciding which ones are too good to ever be “deleted.” Charlotte’s Web has been on the list for 22 years. After that, the fun begins when I review notable new releases of the past year and add them to the list. I also gather recommendations from teachers and friends in the book world. For example, Kimi at Buttonwood Books ..read more

It’s spring book fair week, and as always, we “unveiled” our summer reading selections for each level. This is the book the students read to initiate discussion when they return to school in September – a common read for their new communities. The summer books are: Children’s House Very Good Hats by Emma Straub As soon as I read this new picture book, with its fabulous illustrations by Blanca Gomez, I thought – here’s the Children’s House summer book. I could picture kids making inventive hats or doing hat-related artwork. I’m not creative enough to come up with the actual projects, but the ..read more

I’m overdue on this post, but the good part is that my delay means there’s lots of news to report. We had a two week spring break and are now beginning the busiest months of the school year. The spring dash includes school plays, overnight trips, parent/teacher conferences, Capstone presentations – all culminating in a celebration of our 8th grade graduates in early June. The third grade students continue their combined library and technology class. The kids are enjoying learning about the Caldecott Awards, especially when they chose past winners to re-award with a new medal. The highlight for ..read more

With one week to go before spring break, there is heightened energy among both students and teachers. The most buzzed about event is Beauty and the Beast, this year’s Inly Players production. There are four sold-out performances, a cast of 80, and an incredible set with oversized books around the theater and on the stage. It’s the perfect backdrop to see Belle escape Gaston, rescue her father, and save the Beast, a clock, a teapot, a feather duster, and a candelabras! Of course, there are several editions of Beauty and the Beast on display, but we’ve also been recommending books for spring ..read more

Maybe it’s all of the grey days we’ve had this winter, but over the weekend I found myself looking at (and comparing) the gingerbread cottages in several editions of Hansel and Gretel. I was considering which would be the best one to visit, and then remembered the gingerbread comes with a witch inside so maybe visiting is a bad idea. Not surprisingly, there are many gingerbread house styles, from the relatively simple to over-the-top candy extravaganzas. If you prefer a traditional gingerbread house, James Marshall has you covered: Susan Jeffers’ house looks like something emerging from the m ..read more

The days are getting brighter. Driving home at around 5:00 last night, it was still light – dimly, but still. Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to spring training on February 15. There are hopeful signs. And new books! My spring school shopping list is getting long with highly anticipated releases coming out over the next few months. Here are four I’m particularly looking forward to: Caldecott-winning illustrator Dan Santat’s graphic memoir (February 28) Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker. A novel with pictures by Matthew Cordell (March 7) Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas, th ..read more

I’ve always enjoyed the Upper Elementary classes. The kids are at a great age for absorbing lots of new information, and their questions reflect their curiosity and willingness to grapple with hard questions. Typically, there is a theme to our library classes, a topic that connects our weekly lesson. For example, last year’s UE library curriculum focused on a “Weekly Wonder.” Each class started with an introduction to a painting, a landmark, a piece of music, or a notable person. We watch a short video, look at pictures, talk about the importance of whatever the topic is. For example, the Bea ..read more

Although January is not technically the half-way point in the school year, it always has that feeling of being Part Two. A re-set. And last week in the library certainly felt like that. Kids returned books they borrowed over the break and teachers were choosing books for new reading groups and new projects. We gathered books about land forms, the Civil War, the moon, and biomimicry among other interesting topics. In the spirit of a new year, I thought it would be fun to take a look around the school and see what kids are reading. Here’s what I found: Upper Elementary literature circles are rea ..read more

In this last post of 2022, I’m looking at the list of 55 books I read this year and reflecting on my year in reading – while looking at a the books I plan to read during the holiday break. Here are the ten titles that stand out. Maybe there’s a good recommendation for you – or a gift idea for a friend who likes to read: Still Life by Sarah Winman (Still Life was my immersion experience last winter. This novel takes place WWII-era Italy and centers on a young English man and an older art historian. I read it with my phone nearby so I could look at the paintings Winman references. The true sig ..read more