Pencilvania, written by Stephanie Watson and illustrated by Sophia Moore is a very imaginative middle grade chapter book. Continue reading

Lindsay Leslie’s children’s book “So You Want To Build A Library” definitely helps stretch the imaginations of young readers. It joyfully emphasizes that the library holds the key to opening the door of possibilities. Continue reading

A revisit with Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy from "Little Women" What could be better? Virginia Kantra achieved a grand contemporary retelling of a favorite childhood classic. Kantra’s intentions with each character allow you to both recognize them from the original, but also just love them as if they were new literary figures all on their own. Continue reading

Everyone needs a few good horse stories in their stable of books. Here are my three new favorites for readers of every age. Horse Girl by Carrie Seim @ckseim Horse Crazy by Sarah Maslin Nir @SarahMaslinNir Perestroika in Paris By Jane Smiley Continue reading

DeeDee Cummings’ books are ideal for opening up a dialogue about important topics and teaching children about empathy and kindness. Check out "In the Nick of Time" and "This is the Earth". Continue reading

If you love the genre of Graphic Novels, or just a great story, New Kid by Jerry Craft is a must! In “New Kid” we experience what it is like to start over at a new school. This classic coming-of-age story will resonate with students. Young readers can learn about how to navigate new situations and friends as well as school bullies. Continue reading

Mrs. P’s FREE website refocuses mission on making reading #1 and ends annual writing contest! Read all about it! #LoveOfBooks #ReadAloudMonth Continue reading

To celebrate Multicultural Children's Book Day 2019 I've review three stories celebrating cultural heritage, ecological stewardship, and joyful learning. #ReadYourWorld. Raising awareness and the need for diverse books. Continue reading

The 10th Annual Mrs. P Be-a-Famous Writer Judges Choices are Announced! 10 states take honors in the heroes themed writing contest for K-4 classrooms. Continue reading

Tips for incorporating Mrs. P's K-4 Writing contest into your classroom. Learn about the benefits of a writing contest for your students. Continue reading

A class of 5th graders at Double Churches Elementary, through their own creative efforts, are sharing my writing contest with younger students to inspire them to tell their story. Continue reading

Audiobooks are perfect to maintain reading skills during the summer. They are so easily accessible. Children get the benefits of building powerful literacy skills, while having fun! Just like superheroes, give them a power! Let them discover the power of listening! Continue reading

Let me introduce you to the Follett Challenge if you don't know about it. What they are providing to schools is life changing and that certainly qualifies as a Literacy Hero in my book! Continue reading

Librarians play such an essential role in their schools. They help transform learning. They provide resources and connections. Follow these 6 Literacy Advocates to celebrate School Library Month #AASLslm Continue reading

I’d like to introduce you to some librarians and companies that are my literacy heroes. Here’s a round up of some of the free resources they provide. Continue reading

Watch the winning video from my 9th annual writing contest and learn the theme of the 10th annual contest! Continue reading

Let your imaginations soar and join me for story time before you head to the movies to see the new Peter Rabbit. Continue reading

When we read together, we can change the world. Idea's to celebrate World Read Aloud Day from Mrs. P Continue reading

Meet the winning schools of my 9th annual Be-a-Famous Writer Contest! The theme for the contest this year was the word Dragon. It brought a lot of very creative entries from K-4 schools across the country. Authors, Josh Funk and Matthrew Winner were judges along with Mrs. P, who many know as T.V. actress Kathy Kinney. Continue reading

I'm a proud book reviewer for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2018 (1/27/18). The mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators. Now in its 5th year, it was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Continue reading

The year was hard on a lot of people, with the hurricanes and fires, and so much bullying. But some amazing people and companies came forth with their messages and made a difference. I wanted to share these stories with you. Happy Holidays! Continue reading

My Be-a-Famous Writer contest sponsors and I have something in common, our goals are to promote literacy. I’ve done a little round up of some of their recent blog posts that I think will aide in the final month of my writing contest. There are many great free resources for your classroom. Continue reading

When we help students to engage in storytelling we are helping them develop important skills. Using my writing contest for creative or free writing time, give students an opportunity to explore writing styles, experiment with vocabulary, and also delve into problem solving by figuring out the resolution of the story they are creating. Continue reading