
100 Scope Notes
January 17, 2023 by Betsy Bird
In his latest book Kwame Alexander tackles the subject of slavery head on, providing a template not just for teachers, but for any adult wishing to give the kids of today a better grasp on material that so many have worked so hard to avoid for all these years.
December 27, 2022 by Betsy Bird
Here are the 2022 nonfiction picture books that REALLY made my little heart go pitta pat. My favorites of the year, if you will. I hope you enjoy them as much I have.
November 7, 2022 by Betsy Bird
We know that the standards to which we hold nonfiction picture books has changed in the intervening 21 years. So how does this Caldecott Honoree stand up today? Spoiler Alert: Surprisingly well!
October 14, 2022 by Betsy Bird
Choosing Brave is the book for kids we will turn to on the topic of Emmett Till for decades and decades and decades to come.
July 1, 2022 by Betsy Bird
With exquisitely clever art, this isn’t the first book I’ve seen on the subject of tree communication, but what I can say is that it’s the best written with the most useful illustrations to date.
March 11, 2022 by Betsy Bird
“Maybe because blue has such a complicated history of pain, wealth, invention, and recovery, it’s become a symbol of possibility, as vast and deep as the bluest sea, and as wide open and high as the bluest sky.” I consider a truly gorgeous bit of picture book history in the magnificently written and illustrated BLUE.
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January 14, 2022 by Betsy Bird
It is the easiest thing in the world to write a mediocre picture book biography. Writing one that’s as good as Out of the Shadows, that knows precisely where to cut the story, how to present the art, and then allows you to fall in love with the subject? Such books are uncommon little gems.
December 28, 2021 by Betsy Bird
These are the Nonfiction Picture Books of the year that I just feel went above and beyond the call of duty. Many you've seen on previous lists. Some will be entirely new to you.
November 4, 2021 by Betsy Bird
How do you write a bio of someone who was never actually alive? An impressive bio of a symbol that retains her importance even today.
August 6, 2021 by Betsy Bird
Deftly capturing the majesty, mystery, and downright good looks of foxes, this book is a rarity. Photographs galore highlight the mysterious world of the fox.
Teen Librarian Toolbox
by Amanda MacGregor
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