Our Projects
Take a look at some of our projects. If you work with or have young people in your life, feel free to download and use the resources with them. Don’t hesitate to share with others. We just ask you credit Room 228. Read away!
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.
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.
Educator Guide for Katherine Marsh’s The Lost Year
Thirteen-year-old Matthew is faced with the challenges of a worldwide pandemic. And he is home all. the. time., which sets in motion a journey through the past with his great-grandmother. What he learns exceeds any lesson he could have acquired in a classroom. Matthew is tasked with helping his hundred-year-old great-grandmother GG rummage through boxes of her packed away belongings. What begins as an annoying undertaking ends up as a twisty, turny, unimaginable, emotional journey through history. This educator guide helps teachers prepare their students for a deep dive into history by highlighting relevant historical and 21st century terminology, sharing resources to facilitate discussion, and offering activities that explore global and enduring themes.
Educator Guide for Some Kind of Hate by Sarah Darer Littman
Declan Taylor is riding high. His pitching helped the baseball team win state, and the future looks bright. But when an accident puts the future he imagined for himself in doubt, he finds himself heading down a rabbit hole that will change his life—and the lives of everyone around him—forever. This educator guide asks students to explore difficult and sometimes painful topics. This guide serves as a reflection tool to help them process, critically analyze, and understand the world around them. The guide empowers students to dive deep into language and universal themes, vibrant stories, and characters who are just as confused, flawed, and interesting as any real-life friend.
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.