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Imagination Fridays

By Mary L. Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

Each week in November, WOW Currents will feature an online resource that teachers and families can access to support literacy instruction in their virtual learning spaces. This week’s post features Imagination Friday hosted by Worlds of Words: Center of Global Literacies and Literatures and Tucson Festival of Books. WOW offers many amazing resources for teachers and families, and Imagination Friday is no exception. Continue reading →

WOW Recommends: Book of the Month

WOW Recommends: Hands Up

Each scene in Breanna McDaniel’s picturebook Hands Up! depicts an everyday life event accompanied by text that ends with the phrase “hands up.”

“Morning, baby. Time to get dressed, hands up.”
Gotta get clean. Reach for the sink, hands up.
“It’s all right, baby girl, I’ll help, hands up.”

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MTYT: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

Mary L. Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson, New Mexico State University, NM

In their fifth and final MTYT installment for April 2020, Mary Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson provide their take on Sal and Gabi Break the Universe written by Carlos Hernandez. The 400-page novel won the 2020 Pura Belpré Author Award.
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MTYT: The Undefeated

Mary L. Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson, New Mexico State University, NM

In their fourth MTYT installment for April 2020, Mary Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson provide their take on Kwame Alexander’s The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson. The Undefeated was the winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal, the winner of the 2020 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and was a 2020 Newbery Honor Book.
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MTYT: Other Words For Home

Mary L. Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson, New Mexico State University, NM

In the third installment Mary Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson provide their take on Other Words for Home authored by Jasmine Warga, named a 2020 Newbery Honor Book.
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MTYT: Sulwe

Mary L. Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson, New Mexico State University, NM

In their second MTYT installment, Mary Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson provide their take on Sulwe written by Lupita Nyong’o and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. The picturebook is a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book for 2020.
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MTYT: New Kid

Mary L. Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson, New Mexico State University, NM

During the month of April, Mary Fahrenbruck and Violet Henderson give their take on a range of award-winning children’s and YA books and honor books for 2020. In the first installment, Mary and Violet discuss New Kid written and illustrated by Jerry Craft. The graphic novel was the winner of the 2020 Newbery Medal and the 2020 Coretta Scott King Author Book Award.

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MTYT: Dreamers

By Violet Henderson and Mary Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University

Mary and Violet continue to provide their takes on the 2019 Pura Belpré award winners and honor books. This week, they look at Dreamers by Yuyi Morales. The book was awarded the 2019 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award.

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MTYT: They Call Me Güero

By Violet Henderson and Mary Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University

Mary and Violet continue to provide their takes on the 2019 Pura Belpré award winners and honor books. This week, they look at They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems by David Bowles. The book won the Pura Belpré Honor Award for Authors for 2019.

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MTYT: The Poet X

By Violet Henderson and Mary Fahrenbruck, New Mexico State University

Mary and Violet continue to provide their takes on the 2019 Pura Belpré award winners and honor books. This week, they look at The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. This book is Acevedo’s debut novel and won the Pura Belpré Author Award for 2019.

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