Andrea Knight

Teacher · Learner · Author

The OK Book

We were combing through our bookshelves last week when we found our copy of The OK Book. And, embarrassingly, I kind of forgot I had it, which is a bit shocking, because I read it during the first week of school for so many years. I blame this on my book-buying hobby. I cannot stay out of bookstores. Some people (who claim to love me) think it's a problem. I do not. Although, I must say, I … [Read more...]

Elephant and Piggie Book Activities

I know when I first started teaching, the Elephant and Piggie series didn't exist, but I've been reading the books for so long now, I can't remember my teaching life without them. When my own kids were little, they couldn't get enough of these two unlikely friends. And for well over a decade now, our students are just as in love with these quirky little characters as any kid I've ever … [Read more...]

Tacky the Penguin – An Odd Little Bird

Tacky the Penguin has been on our winter read-aloud list for so many years now. Penguins are one of those obvious seasonal topics this time of year, but there's more to this story. If you know, then you know. However, if this book is new to you, we recommend you check out a copy and save some time to read out loud. It's silly and the kids love it, especially if you give it a little gusto. And … [Read more...]

Bear Snores On

We love Karma Wilson's "Bear" books. With winter right around the corner, we're busy planning lessons around her sweet little story, Bear Snores On. It's perfect for this time of year... cold air, short days, snowy skies... Bear is ready to hibernate! And he does. In fact, he's so good at it, he doesn't even notice his forest friends have made their way to his cozy den to escape all the winter … [Read more...]

Elves Are the Worst

Elves are the worst! Or are they? Gilbert the goblin sure thinks so. And he spends a great deal of time in Alex Willan's picture book telling the readers why they should share his opinion. Even though Gilbert is anti-elf, it's hard not to like him. He thinks elves are the worst and he doesn't appreciate the way they hog the holiday spotlight. And on some level, we relate to him a bit. We've had … [Read more...]