Our Projects

Welcome! The grade levels and ages listed here are estimates, simply meant to guide you. You know your kids and students best—every reader grows at their own pace. Many books are wonderfully universal and work well across multiple age groups, and some titles remain a perfect fit for readers who may still be developing their skills, especially with a bit of guidance or support. And remember: nonfiction picture books can be powerful tools at any age—even in high school—as supplements, mentor texts, or just great stories worth encountering. Thank you for sharing books with young people, embracing beautifully diverse stories, and keeping the magic of reading alive.

Feel free to use and share any of the educator materials provided here—just kindly credit Room 228, and please note that none of our resources are permitted for resale. Read away!

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CCSS Poetry Guide: Random House on Poetry

Ah, poetry! Celebrate language and play with words in this very teacher-friendly poetry guide.  Get silly and contemplative with these delicious poems and their equally edible activities!

You’ll find activities on Roald Dahl, poems selected by Jack Prelutsky and Helen Ferris as well as picture books in verse organized in book clusters by topic and content.

 

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Educator’s Guide: The Island Of Doctor Libris

This educator guide is filled with social/psychological experiments, creative writing, poetry slams and more and will keep your students moving, analyzing, creating and smiling as they finagle their way in and out of conflicts along with Billy and his crazy character crew!

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Author Study Guide: Louis Sachar

This National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and Newbery Medal winning author knows how to connect to young readers.  This author study dives deep into his Marvin Redpost series, his stand-alone chapter books and his middle-grade novels.  There is something for all ages!  Our guide aids students in comparing and contrasting the author’s writing techniques from book to book and genre to genre while also exploring Sachar’s use of humor and highly relatable characters and themes.

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CCSS Guide Grades 3 – 6: Random House on Reading with Purpose and Understanding

In grades 3-6 young people are beginning to understand more complex themes and concepts.  Help your students explore how authors use point of view, details and other techniques as tools to say something that is important to them.  Help your students learn to use their own writing and their own voices to say something big!

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Educator’s Guide: Fairy Tale Retellings

Full of magic, greed, power struggles and mystery.  By burrowing into these books and activities your students will examine relatable topics – whom to trust, what path to follow, why do certain groups hold the power in their worlds?  These stories lend themselves to natural comparisons to traditional fairytales and a myriad of cultures.  Step into the woods…if you dare.

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