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!

Educator Guide for Astro and the Creepy New Kid | Picture Book by Claude Jones

Welcome to Planet Flurkal! Author Claude Jones’ Astro the Monster Kids in Leadership series is a collection of 4 picture books that teaches students the essential skills to become future leaders in the classroom and beyond. This comprehensive program provides educators with the tools and resources to break down difficult experiences into manageable parts, helping pre-K through grade 3 students develop the foundational skills needed to navigate interpersonal relationships and interactions in a whole new, holistic way through ELA, SEL, and STEM activities. Enjoy this free sample from the Kids in Leadership program that highlights one of the books in the series, Astro and the Creepy New Kid. To explore the program in its entirety, visit astrothemonster.com.

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Marcus Makes It Big by Kevin Hart

You better hold onto your socks because this book is about to knock them right off! Students are sure to love Marcus Makes It Big’s texts, emojis and realistic, REAL-LIFE conflicts. The activities in this guide give students a chance to dive deep into some big feelings, as well as get creative and cultivate a classroom community. Students will be reading, writing, analyzing, creating, and laughing the whole way. Happy reading!

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Educator Guide for Laura Shovan and Michael Rothenberg’s Poetry Collection, Monsterville

Monsters. We all know them. We’ve been taught to fear and even hate them. The monsters under the bed, in the closet, beneath us in the basement, or above us in the attic – they’ve all been given a bad reputation. In Welcome to Monsterville, award-winning author Laura Shovan and illustrator-extraordinaire Michael Rothenberg introduce us to their monsters and help us to reckon with our own monsters, too. Together they show us through humor, art, poetry, and heart that our monsters are deserving of empathy and acceptance.

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Educator Guide for Lindsay Bonilla and Mark Hoffmann’s The Note Who Faced the Music

This adorable and fun, offbeat tale of sheet music “in treble” will strike a chord with anyone who’s felt out of sync, ringing with reassurance that everyone has a part to play when working as a team. Young readers new to music can develop their ear with a glossary of musical terms included. The educator guide incorporates music, art, narrative writing, and vocabulary. Kids will love this book and teachers will enjoy using it to facilitate lively and engaging learning.

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The Best Kind of Mooncake by Pearl Au Yeung

A young girl at a Hong Kong market is really looking forward to the deliciously sweet mooncake pastry with a double-yolk center. Yum! But then an exhausted stranger enters the scene. No one seems to want to help. The girl must make a decision, a decision that will change her and those around her. This mostly true story written by Pearl Au Yeung is a gem and the illustrations are just as delicious as mooncake! This accompanying educator guide assists young people in exploring oral histories and the writing process, the theme of kindness, the history and celebration of food and cultures, and it dives into how authors use setting to transport their readers to a place they’ve never been before.

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