#AuthorsLoveTeachers and School Librarians Giveaway, 2021
Oh my.
Teachers. How I have thought of you and prayed for you over the last year. 2020 has been a year of wondering and worrying. Yet, I have seen the hoops you have jumped through for your students this year. I offer this post with gratitude and deep respect.
AND speaking of gratitude and deep respect…I could NOT pull off a giveaway such as this without each and every author/illustrator here today. The authors and illustrators here answered with kindness and concern on your behalf. They welcomed the opportunity to celebrate you. Because you are cherished.
The last time I facilitated this Valentine’s giveaway, I was in Florida. That was the last trip that I made before everything got tipped upside down and buttoned up. By the time spring hit (which was four years ago, right?) most of you were teaching from home, trying to find a new normal. I would feel downright silly writing a post here on how hard it’s been for you; you know far better than I do. But there is one thing about your job that I do know…
Teachers, do you know when I most think of you? At the end of a full day of author Zooms. Because, you know what? I LOVE KIDS. I LOVE TEACHERS. I LOVE VISITING SCHOOLS. But I have found that in the “before times” I could spend seven hours in a building to present, visit classrooms, and lunch with kids. Then I’d sign a bunch of books. At the end of the day, I’d go out to my car and I was tired.
But not “Zoom tired”.
Right? You know what I mean? I really DO love to connect to kids via Zoom. There are some advantages to it, but mostly I just miss kids and teachers and the smell of schools. I marvel at how you have taught via a screen day after day. Month after month. Presently, many of you are teaching masked kids who are spread out across classrooms, but you make the best of it and stay positive for the kids. And I know that some of you have really gone above and beyond, dropping things off on porches and stoops, texting with kids, etc. That’s resilience and dedication and love all wound up together. Teaching is not just an honored profession. It is a calling.
It’s a very special heart and soul who hears that call and answers it; I figured that out by the fourth grade. And BELIEVE ME, your kids have figured that out, too. You don’t have to be perfect. Kids don’t care about that stuff. We adults do. Kids just want you to care. I was such a child. When you see and care for the child, the student works very hard for you.
I have done this giveaway for several years now and I was extra determined to get it posted this year. I reached out to dozens of my author friends and we have banded together to honor you.
To thank you. To wish you well. To remind you that you MATTER. Those kids behind those masks and screens need you. Sadly, for some of them you are the adult who sees them. Pays attention. That is life altering stuff. Trust me. I know this.
And with all of the obstacles and budget cuts. With having to buy your own supplies, track down kids who don’t follow through, praise those who do, contact parents who are not always cooperative, and stand on your head to engage kids via screens or through masks, you persevere.
In addition to curriculum you see the child before the student and assist kids with their heightened anxiety and depression, all the while worrying about their safety. Now, pile on your very real worries regarding your personal safety as well as the safety of your loved ones…with all of that to navigate…you remain stalwart for those kids.
That’s what makes you a hero.
~~~~~~
SO…<DRUM ROLL>…HERE at he books for the #AuthorsLoveTeachers Giveaway. Directions on how to enter are at the BOTTOM. << ONE WINNER WILL win them ALL! >>
Rules: ***Giveaway ends on Saturday, February 20 at 11:59PM. Winner will be announced the following day.
ENTER by Retweeting with hashtag #AuthorsLoveTeachers. Also, please comment on this blog. We’d love to hear about your experiences through all of this. Your struggles and victories. (NO pressure to be long!) PLEASE INCLUDE your Twitter handle or e-mail so I can find you if you win!
1) This is to show our appreciation for teachers and librarians, specifically. Therefore, the winner MUST have a school mailing address and be presently employed at that school.
***2) We know that teachers do not always get the appreciation they deserve. (They deserve parades and serenades and major awards.) This giveaway is a reminder that WE appreciate you. Yes—we write the books, but YOU are in the trenches every day. YOU get the books into the hands of children. Together, we create life-long readers.
And for that…we are most grateful.
Thank you.
Wow Lynda and all of the creators who helped make this giveaway so HUGE! I have been teaching in person all year and am amazed that I have been doing it since then and amazed at those teaching online or hyrbrid and all of the other ways. We have definitely shown the world that we can handle whatever you throw our way-how much longer we can handle, I don’t know, but I do know hearing such wonderful words from those we look up to, like yourself, helps us get through it. Thanks for all you do. I would love to win these books to keep my classroom library current! Take care and we love you!
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I just want to say how grateful I am! Not just for this contest (which is epic!) but for noticing and acknowledging how hard we are all working this year. This year has been such a beat down and I think it makes your kind words mean even more. Thank you for bringing a little sparkle into this darkness. I really appreciate it!
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This year has been a challenge! However in an effort to keep students safe I have been allowed to check books out to students in small groups and have great conversations about books with the peer pressure. These conversations have been fantastic and have led to great book recommendations! We have more readers this year than ever before and I think it’s the small group attention they can have! I love it!! Thank you so much to all of the authors who are participating in this giveaway and recognizing the hard work our schools are putting in this year! I must say though that you are the reason the kids live coming to the library. They can’t wait to escape to the next adventure!
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I agree! This contest is absolutely amazing, but thank you for being a light to others and recognizing the hard work of everyone this year!
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This is the most amazing giveaway ever. A little over 1/2 my budget went to replacing books that were lost during the sudden Covid school closure last March. Due to so many families losing jobs and struggling to make ends meet students have not received any fees or fines for the missing items. I’m sure my librarian and teacher friends in this group are in the same boat. I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and can’t wait for some normalcy in 21-22.
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As I continue to adapt opportunities available for my students, I’m having a great time this week working on Bento Book Club kits, an interactive reading experience. These books would be such a blessing!
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This year has been challenging, but I am so grateful we have been able to be open for our students and I have been allowed to check out books to students each week. They are always so excited to see me and my book cart show up at their door! Thank you so much for recognizing the importance of teachers and librarians!
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Thank you so much for seeing us and caring so much about teachers and students. When even going to the library is a challenge, this is an amazing gift. Thank you to all the authors and illustrators who, especially right now, give us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
From a small town in northern Michigan
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Thank you so much! This year is challenging for the library space which is usually teaming with noise, kids and teaching. It is now quiet and sad because kids can’t travel around the school yet. We bring books to them, but it is not the same.
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This would be an amazing addition to my class library! This is the best thing., Kids need good books to read to keep them interested in reading
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In a year in which everyone is spread thin, it’s more important than ever to hold onto those small moments that remind you of why you teach so that you can survive the rest. I miss hugs and high-fives, but realize that a smile can fill your heart even when it is seen through a screen. Thank you for giving us all another reason to smile!
Twitter: @MaryKAlmeida
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Though I am a high school librarian, I wanted to give a shout to my colleagues at the middle/elementary level in my district. These librarians have served their community tirelessly. Cleverly, these libs have made books accessible through the pandemic even during the summer months. I want the GCISD librarians to benefit from this awesome opportunity!
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Thank you fir taking the time to honor and respect educators. This is the toughest year yet. Love of students and reading helps get me through the day.
@ventura_omaha
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This is such a generous giveaway! I have been spending time and $$ creating digital resources as I am all remote for the grade level at my school. I am constantly reinventing resources. I am also struggling to find ways to get good books into my student’s hands. I know a lot of these books would interest my 4th graders and I would love for them to have these! ❤️
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Struggles: having to create lesson plans for my students in class and a separate set to post for virtual only students. Also, Zoom with five year olds.
Victory: read alouds…always read alouds .
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Thank you for organizing this give away and for the touching letter of thanks. It has been an interesting year to say the least. Winning these books would be an awesome bright spot during this crazy time. Nicolle Hallman 6th grade language arts Middle School South Howell NJ
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I lost about half of my classroom library over the past year. I sent books home with my students so at least the books are out in the world hopefully being read. We have been in hybrid and have shut down to full virtual 2 times (March 2020 and November – December 2020). As as special education teacher, access to books of many levels, interests and diverse characters are critical. Can’t wait to find some of these books and continue rebuilding my little library. (Karaksnyder@gmail.com)
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Thank you. It is nice to know someone sees those of us who are trying to help our kids. I think this whole ordeal has been the hardest on the kids. I don’t want to go into the details of that, but know this offer is appreciated. #AuthorsLoveTeachers #LibraiansLoveAuthors
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#AuthorsLoveTeachers ♥️ This year has been hard but that hasn’t stopped my 5th graders! I teach at a Title I school outside of DC. My kids don’t have books of their own at home. I had some conferences with each of them to learn about their interests, then packed book bags filled with 6-7 books I thought they would love. Now we’re able to talk about awesome books on Zoom!!! I would love to share some new books with them and give them books to start growing their very own classroom library.
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Each year I am stunned by the generosity of you and all the authors involved! Such a great collection of books. Although it has looked different at various points thi year, connecting kids with books like these has been a constant and provided some semblance of normal.
Thank you!
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Thank you for your show of support. We are fielding so much contempt and criticism, it feels good to feel this positivity. Thank you to all of the authors and illustrators for your generosity!
Melissa Lawson @nerdupnow
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Wow! What an amazing giveaway. Whether we have been remote or hybrid this past year, the one thing that was constant that kept us connected was great kids’ literature! I am so appreciative of all the work of authors and illustrators, and the relationships they have created with teachers! Thank you tremendously!
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I don’t expect to win. But boy if I did. You know what I would do? I would LOSE these books too.
Lose them to readers who need them more than I. As I look through this wonderful list, I see those titles I have already loved.
And lost.
Always in the earnest share with another reader.
Thank you for this giveaway. Thank you for your support!
(@paulwhankins)
phankins@scsc.school
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What an amazing giveaway! It would be wonderful to gift these to my 4th graders! Most are EL and economically disadvantaged without print literature in their homes. I try to put diverse books in my classroom library so they can see themselves and learn about other cultures as well.
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Haha, that is just so true! I hate to see them go but always hoping they are well loved somewhere. Then I go out and get more 🙂
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Haha, that is just so true! I hate to see them go but always hoping they are well-loved somewhere. Then I go out and get more 🙂
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Thank you so incredibly much for doing this. I started as a last second virtual teacher this year and then at the end of December I found out it was for the full year. The hardest part is not being able to put physical books in students’ hands like before. Our beautiful classroom library is lonely and I wish they could grab all the books they want. However, I have found many wants to shout out about amazing books this past year, including spotlighting authors and launching my middle grade blog. I’ve done two virtual author visits too! We want to instill that love of reading, even if it is from afar! This giveaway is incredible and filled with remarkable author’s work that I know my students will be excited to get their hands on as soon as it is safe to come back. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.
My Twitter is @4Dlovestoread ❤️
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I just kept scrolling…so many books! What an amazing collection. This would honestly be an amazing addition to any classroom library.
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What an amazing giveaway! It would be wonderful to gift these to my 4th graders! Most are EL and economically disadvantaged without print literature in their homes. I try to put diverse books in my classroom library so they can see themselves and learn about other cultures as well.
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Thank you so much for this opportunity!
I have learned that in person, hybrid, remote, or a combo, students still love to hear a great book read aloud!
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Wow! There are so many amazing books on this list that I would love to share with my students! Throughout the craziness of the past year, we have worked hard to keep books in the hands of our readers through giveaways, outreach activities, a strong school library and classroom library collections. Great books and stories provide comfort and help us all navigate this difficult time!
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I’ve read several of these books and I know my fourth graders would love to get their hands on a new book. I feel like the biggest struggle as a teacher we are facing is technology. Students and parents are constantly on a phone or a gaming device. I try to show and explain what I read and how books make me feel, but I honestly feel like I’m facing an uphill battle. If my students were given these books they would be familiar with many of the titles, because I’ve read them and told them all about them.
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My district just started online teaching on Friday, and so many of us have never done this, so we feel like rookies all over again! Thanks so much for your support of teachers. 🙏
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Wow! Your generosity and that of all the other authors is amazing!! This past year has been such a struggle, and so tiring! Everything I do with the students has had to be reworked. However, this fall we were told we could start borrowing books to our students again. So, I photographed all my book shelves and created a slideshow to share with the students, and they began checking out books again! We even started doing book clubs in January! It’s really wonderful to discuss book in our small groups again.
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What a wonderful selection of books! I am a reading specialist who has been teaching my Book Smarts class 4 days a week (hybrid) to 26 classes of 3rd,4th and 5th graders. My favorite part of every lesson is sharing a read aloud. One positive thing that being virtual (last spring and periodically this school year) has brought is the ability to post a school wide daily read aloud to Schoology. We are on our eighth book of the year and I would love to introduce these titles to my readers.
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My Twitter handle is @GeierTanya. Email geiert@garnetvalley.org
Thank you for this opportunity!
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Exhausted does not begin to cover it. Also lost my library as it is now a classroom. Can’t wait to be able to check out books again and have a space for kids to come and browse shelves.
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Scrolling through this post, pausing and looking at each book, I am filled with love. The love authors have for the world, as each book represents its own idea, concern, or perspective, and is a result of the passion and commitment of the author and their team. I felt love for me as a teacher, as there is a massive appreciation felt through our shared tongue of books and service. And I felt the love I have for my students, thinking of the books we have shared this year and the connections they have found through books in a year of disconnect. Thank you for helping me feel all that love today. Congratulations in advance to the winner, whoever that may be, as they will feel all kinds of love!
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As a writer, reader, and teacher I’ve enjoyed many titles on this list, especially Shouting at the Rain. Love to connect my students with the right story at the right moment.
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Wow! This is amazing! I teach in a k-12 building and would love to share these books with students there! Through all of the upheaval of 2020, books have been magic and reading has been healing- even when it was hard to do. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
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Hello! I have been teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English in-person this year. This is my first year in this position; I had previously been a high school teacher for about a decade. Starting a completely new role at a new school during this pandemic has had its challenges, but the very best part has been the books! I have been re-introduced to young adult and middle grade literature and have been inspired and encouraged by these voices and the voices of my students. Sharing these books with my students has been a source of such joy during this crazy time in education. I have been purchasing books one-at-time on my own in an attempt to build my classroom library and would love the opportunity to increase it with all these fantastic titles!
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Twitter: @lcleeth
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This year has been tough, but this is a definite bright spot for teachers! A great, big reminder that authors have our back. Thank you Lynda and everyone else! @erinvarley
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I read aloud to my 6th graders every time I have them in zoom class.
@librarycoac2016
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I so admire the way you’ve loved on teachers in your writing and in your annual giveaways. Love creates love…doesn’t it? Yes, it does. I have been the fortunate recipient of several giveaways in the past year. My students are holding steady at the moment. I do want to thank all you authors. The books you create give young people a place to go, to be who they are of their choosing. There is so much a young person cannot control in life. But, in a book they can see a way they want or not want to be. They can escape to a place or recognize a place. The power of story has never been so needed as now. I thank all of you for participating in this exceptional giveaway. Thank you.
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Hello 👋🏼
I am an elementary school librarian. Wow, what a change this year has been!! I have learned so much about problem solving technology issues that it feels like my job has changed entirely. I attend live classes, record stories to send out to classes and do weekly curbside pickup. The best part is seeing their faces in person ❤️ @jenniferjh35
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This AMAZING giveaway proves that #AuthorsAreRockstars. Thank you for helping make my job as a school librarian SO fun and (with such amazing lit) easy to do. We are blessed by all of the authors participating in this. Blessings! @jbaldwin_books
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My school is partially back in person and I am doing my best to keep kids interested in reading. I read to each classroom or zoom to remote students every week and I’M doing Blind Date with a book for all students on campus where I select books for them each week. Having brand new books to give to them would be so appreciated. Thanks for the opportunity.
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I am always amazed at the pure hearts and generosity of kid lit authors and their support of teachers. For that, I say a HUGE thank you!
Although this year has me more tired than most and continually wishing for “normal”, it has also allowed me to take a step back and reflect on my teaching practices and focus on the little things that bring joy. More than anything, I miss the daily morning handshakes and hugs with my kiddos and the overall connectedness that proximity allows in building classroom community.
Twitter: @MrsShafer5
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This is amazing. I teach high school but my readers tend to be reading at a lower level (special education ) so having high quality books they can read is very important. I also promise to share with the teacher of my twin 10 year olds if I win.
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Oh, Twitter @UzumeLT
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Oh my goodness this selection is incredible! I’m a 4th grade teacher teaching fully online in a Title 1 school from frigid Minnesota! One of the things I miss most is reading time when I could help students find books and help them discover their new favorites and ignite that passion for reading!
Each month we send home materials to our students and I’ve been sending books from my classroom library that I bought with my own money. The chances of many of these coming back are slim but that doesn’t stop me. If it means they are reading then it’s worth it! Winning one of these would mean another book for another student! Thank you!
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Lynda, much gratefulness for the opportunity to add these books to our classroom library. We have had a mix of online teaching and face to face and sometimes a mix of both. It’s been quite the year but I have an EXTRAORDINARY group of students this year. They amaze me with their love for one another and give me hope for positive change for our world.
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@jenjowett is my twitter handle!
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OMG! Talk about a lottery WIN! There are so many incredible books on this list and I’m now overwhelmed with titles I need to get and read now. Fish in a Tree is a staple in our 5th grade every year, and each year the conversations get richer and broader. Whoever wins these is a lucky, lucky person!! Thank you all for the gift is incredible literature, rich characters, and important lessons for our children.
@stacyk1836
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What a fantastic selection of books and authors! I can just imagine the kids at my school getting so excited to read these books. Thanks so much for coordinating this, Lynda! I’ll pass this along to other teachers at my school. Hugs!
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Teaching in a pandemic is something I never imagined having to do. But books continue to be our saving grace. A place to escape. Something to connect over. I have loved sharing many new books with my students through this and can’t wait to check out so many on this list. Thank you authors!
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Now more than ever we need books, a love language with words that transform, transport, heal, comfort, and empower. Our kids need to hear the beautiful, inspirational, humorous, and lasting messages these generous authors have to gift. It would be an honor to gift these treasures made extra special with the authors autograph with the students and teachers I am blessed to serve at Lone Star Elementary School! @LiteracyCoachKS
I have tweeted this opportunity and posted on FB-Kasey Smith
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Wow, Lynda! My heart needed this lovely lift – the lift of knowing that ours friends in the literary community get it.
Most of my waking minutes,9 I am either working or thinking about work. You are right: distance learning is SO exhausting.As someone at very high risk for complications with C-19, the alternative is terrifying.
In a world with so much negativity directed towards educators, your words are a salve. Thanks to you and all the like-minded writers/illustrators who contributed to this generous idea. You’ve buoyed my heart simply with its existence.
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This is such an incredible assortment of books every year! Thank you so much for the chance! Thank you to all the wonderful authors and illustrators that contributed. It’s books like these that keep me and my students going! I am @BbliotcrioDavid on Twitter
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Wow! This is such an amazing giveaway. This year has been filled with challenges, but also with so much growth. This pandemic has shown me and the world that teachers can take on anything and continue to put our students first!
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WOW! This so amazingly generous! I have been in-person since September along with having some virtual students at well. I would love to get these books into the hands of the kiddos at my school. Thanks.
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Thank you for the opportunity! These would be awesome for our school library.
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Wow! Just the thought of this give away makes me feel special! I teach 2nd grade self contained in CyFair ISD, Texas in a fully merged, concurrent classroom. This year has boasted some of my highest highs (I’ve learned that I can do most things I set my mind to) and lowest lows (struggling to make connections and be everything for everyone). And although there are no more hugs and smiles are harder to see, I feel so much love from kids and their families. It’s hard and unsustainable, but we are doing it! and now, if I don’t win, I have a long list of books for my TBR pile! Twitter: @MrsRedner
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Thank you for coordinating such an amazing group of authors. Students and teachers are fortunate to be on the receiving end of this generous literary gift!
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You are such a lovely inspiration, Lynda!
It would be exciting to win this for my 5th graders. It has been such a tricky year for them, starting out remote and very recently returning full-time in-person for most, with a number of classmates joining us daily via Zoom. We’re all learning how to stay connected and how to be social again, which is a bit overwhelming. Books and read-alouds have been grounding for us!
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Thank you for looking out for our teachers!
In my 23rd year of teaching what I love, reading and writing, and it has been challenging for sure.
I have found joy in my students finding comfort, laughs, and adventure in their books this year.
Reading will always help us through the good and the bad, and I look forward to the next generation of writers who have been busy creating amazing stories during this pandemic!
@bostermyer
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Our @HallsvilleISD schools have been open since August and valiantly trying to keep students and staff safe, happy, supported and taught. The struggles are likely very familiar to anyone reading this so I will not rehash them here. This generous giveaway is a lift to me without winning because it tells me that authors are doing what they can to make us feel “seen.” To win will allow some teacher and/or librarian to touch staff and students with the gift of books either by circulating them in a school or classroom library or to gift to 125 lucky recipients. What a lift to so many that will be! @dulaney_melanie Hallsville, TX
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Wow. What an amazing collection of books you have compiled here!
In my Maryland school we transitioned to distance learning last spring. I had no idea when I packed my class up for two weeks off on Friday, March 13th that it would be our last day together in the classroom for the year. We did not have access to any online meeting platform until close to the end of the year. Seeing my kids’ faces again after months apart bright tears to my eyes and we spent our brief once a week Meets sharing read alouds and reading independently “together” on the screen.
What made the lack of closure even harder is that a new school was built in the community, so only about half of the student population was districted to our school for this current school year.
Having said that, we certainly made some memories together!
Building relationships with a whole new group of students and families this year without ever meeting face to face has been an adjustment. Having said that, I love my group of kids this year and feel like I know more about them than I could have imagined, all by Google Meet.
We have still managed virtual author visits and virtual field trips. We are learning. We are reading. We continue the #classroombookaday tradition and exchanged virtual valentines.
My hybrid students return Tuesday. I will have 5 students in person on Mondays and Tuesdays, 6 in person on Thursdays and Fridays, and some who I may not see in person this school year. I will teach in person and virtually at the same time. It is overwhelming, yet I am so appreciative I get to continue to build memories with my kids as the same class unit.
Thank you for recognizing our struggles and celebrations and for your generosity toward teachers and students every year, but especially this year.
@MrsBKiddFCPS
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Wow! The titles here are amazing! You are blessing a teacher and students in one of the best ways! @MrsAchtorELL
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Thank you for thinking of us in building this amazing opportunity. And #ZoomTired is totally a thing! We couldn’t do it without authors! #TeachersLoveAuthors
@elisemshuford
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First off thank you and thanks to all the authors that did this and made this possible. In Southern California we have been doing distance learning for almost a year. I am tired my students are tired but everyday we try to find a positive. To keep me going and inspired I started a book exchange monthly so my students can have books. The submit a form requesting books and they come to the office to pick them up. This bring students such joy and keeps me going! @MrsGteach5th
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This is AMAZING! The love that authors and illustrators have shown to teachers is nothing short of amazing! This year has definitely been tricky, but at the same time, I have seen growth in our students and teachers in ways that I could never have imagined or accomplished on a “normal” year. As a literacy support teacher, I have found that it is essential for the students to know of great books and have access to those books. The books that our children have access to allows us to do big work with them each day that leads to them being more amazing every day. Keeping our eyes on what is essential in learning has been important and sifting through the negativity is also exhausting. The support and kindness of those who recognize that we all want what is best for the next generation makes it worth it!
Thank you!!!
@jrunde31
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Thank you! I am absolutely drooling over this list of books! I have learned so much about technology- connecting with kids in different ways as we teach remotely. The most disheartening lesson I have had to learn is how reliant my 4th graders are on our school and classroom libraries. Without them so many don’t have access to books. Although we have tried reading online or pdf versions of books it is just not the same! @Root4Kathy
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This is amazing! I’m a school librarian to a very underprivileged school and I know my teachers, EAs and administrators would just love this! We have lost so many books over the years and cannot charge kids money they just don’t have to replace them. Covid last school year ended with hundreds of books being written off and most likely we will never see again. We would love even just a fraction of these books back on our shelves again. Thank you so much for the opportunity!
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Thank you so much for recognizing how hard this year has been for teachers. I teach in a school district that has been in-person since August. Although at times I felt like I was teaching two full time jobs because half of my class was in person and the other half was choosing remote. No teachers have been offered a vaccine yet here making it not only hard, but a realization of how others don’t value your career. Seeing posts such as yours makes at a little more bearable. Thank you again.
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Thank you so much for doing this! Our school was hybrid in the beginning of the year but brought students back full time about two weeks in. My heart has been so full to be with them in person, but this year has not been without its challenges. Two huge things I miss are students sitting on my carpet for stories ( they have to sit at desks or at tables behind the plexiglass dividers which makes it difficult for them to see and hear me all of the time) and my Makerspace Club. I have spent a lot of this year thinking outside the box to give my students the best library experience they can have under these circumstances.
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Wow! Thank you so much. While this year has been way different. Something that’s made it easier is all the resources and supports that children’s books authors have provided. Having authors join us for free virtual visits, having fun giveaways-they add a little novelty to our days which are spent in front of a screen and are filled with uncertainty.
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This is an amazing opportunity. There are a lot of amazing books on this list.
We have been fully virtual this year a lot of these kids have been thriving. My goal is to remember: everyone is doing their best. Kids included. ❤️ @Stacy6006
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This is such an amazing giveaway. This year has been very difficult on so many levels, but the hardest part is keeping the kids engaged and interacting with each other when half are in-person and half are virtual or when we are all virtual. I never realized how much all the background noise of papers shuffling and chairs moving contribute to the classroom environment until being 100% virtual and everyone being muted, so there is complete silence. With so much focus on keeping the kids engaged. I feel like I have made more of an effort to have real conversations with the kids, so that they know that I care about them and that has helped to keep them engaged. I can’t wait to see everyone all at once in my classroom again, heads bent together as they work collaboratively. Thank you again for doing this giveaway. The titles are amazing! @cstrine
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Lynda,
Your post made me cry for many reasons. Not just because of the amazing generosity of the #kidlit world, or your sincerely kind and heartfelt words, but because I felt myself, my colleagues, my students, their families, and my community were seen in those words. Teaching from my empty classroom to a screen full of eager 4th grade students has left me with one certainty…I truly love the connection that comes in a classroom with kids and books, and nothing on earth can replicate that. As always, thank you and the #kidlit world for your thoughtfulness.
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The amazingness here is just out of control! This has definitely been an interesting year in education. Where I am in Iowa, I have to say I have not felt very valued as an educator. My district is great, but our state level leadership has really shown a lack of concern for teachers when dealing with pandemic safety. It made me uncertain about starting the year for the first time in my 20 years of teaching. And I have continued to worry about catching Covid every day. I eat in my car and double mask and use a shield and I know that’s still no guarantee. But the kids have been great throughout. They wear their masks without complaint and were clearly really grateful to be coming back to school last fall. About the only thing that is normal (and actually just a little bit easier in this pandemic year) is independent reading time. We established the routine early on and haven’t let up and it’s already showing great results, in test scores, but more importantly in excitement about books. My 6th graders are reading voraciously and always asking for more books. I already have quite a few of the books in this giveaway and would love to share those titles with my teaching partner while keeping the ones I’ve been drooling over for awhile now! Thanks for supporting teachers at a time where we sometimes feel disposable.
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Lynda,
Your post made me cry for many reasons. Not just because of the amazing generosity of the #kidlit world, or your sincerely kind and heartfelt words, but because I felt myself, my colleagues, my students, their families, and my community were seen in those words. Teaching from my empty classroom to a screen full of eager 4th grade students has left me with one certainty…I truly love the connection that comes in a classroom with kids and books, and nothing on earth can replicate that. As always, thank you and the #kidlit world for your thoughtfulness. @KReilley5
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WOW. This is so amazing, and as a teacher it is so nice to see the love! This year has been a wild one, between teaching in-person, switching to remote, and then back to in-person again. Through everything, my students have shown such strength and resilience to continue to push forward through all of the curve balls thrown their way! I know that they would LOVE to dive into all of these books.
Thank you for the opportunity!
Twitter: @MMsMcCabe
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I so appreciate this! My fifth graders, in northern Michigan, would love to win! Thank you all so much!
@BoyneChris
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This is an amazing collection of books by generous authors! Thanks for your ongoing support for teachers!!!
I teach reading intervention to fragile 6th, 7th and 8th grade readers at my neighborhood middle school. This year has been challenging and has forced me to stretch my thinking and creativity to effectively teach my zoomers and roomers simultaneously. Books have helped connect us!
I love my students so much and love telling our story at @jk_bergstrom – check us out!
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I am an elementary librarian in an amazing school with a diverse student body in Anchorage AK who love to read. We are just now getting back into the classrooms and it has been so wonderful to see all of them back in the building after almost a year online. @NicoleSimasko
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Thanks for hosting such a great giveaway. My struggle is the same as what others have mentioned…keeping kids engaged in remote/hybrid scenarios. My victory? Staying healthy and offering more virtual resources to students than I have in the past. 😊
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@mcrainwater
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Thanks for the chance. I gave been teaching hybrid do far. Looks like we will be heading to 5 day instruction soon. I worry about social distancing all 21 students when that happens.
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There’s so much that’s been difficult/ever-changing in 2020/2021 teaching through a pandemic. I’ve taught hybrid with concurrent livestream + fully remote synchronous + asynchronous. And our kids have adapted and adjusted to our shifting environments in ways that make me so proud and my heart full. Students are also struggling just like we struggle to be the best teachers we can be amidst all this chaos and uncertainty. But one constant good is connecting kids with books. Thank you @LynMullalyHunt and all of the other talented and generous authors who are making the giveaway possible. Your books provide the ultimate escape and supports we -all- need right now. ❤️
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@carolinelehman on Twitter 🥰
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This year.
Never been another like it.
Hope there never is another like it.
I’ll be real: I’m thinking hard about leaving. Things that matter are back-burnered because a group of small but loud voices want their kids to have “normal.” It’s so individualistic. I’m here for the collective: my students, their families, my colleagues. The inequity of the pandemic has pulled back the inequity of this system.
BUT.
Being able to put books directly into the hands of my students- which is what I’d do with each and every one of these books – so they might feel a little less weary, a little less isolated, a little less ALONE. It’s things like this that keep my head above water. And this is why I love this collective of authors and teachers who are here FOR THE KIDS. ❤️
I’m @barberchicago on Twitter and I hope you all are safe and well.
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Thank you LMH for doing this every year. Thank you to the generous authors whose books help so many young people.
This has been a challenging year to say the least, and it means everything to be seen.
So grateful for all of you.
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This is a moment of #bookjoy for whoever wins! As an elementary librarian, not being with our kids to help them find books or to have great conversations or to listen or to hug or just smile at them has been hard. I’ve worked so hard to build a culture of reading and fear the lack of access for some of our babies will make me have to double my efforts in the months to come! Using my creativity and resourcefulness to continue connecting with virtual students has been a high point! Still keeping my mission up front and doing what I can to build a love of reading! @leadwithreading
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Amazing! My fifth graders and I would love to win. Thank you ALL so much!
@BoyneChris
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Thank you for your beautiful words and this wonderful opportunity. This has definitely been the most difficult year in my teaching career. We have been mostly in person since August. Each day gets a little easier, but it has definitely been a roller coaster this year. The kids make it all worth it, though. 🙂 I am noticing it’s been a difficult year for most students to find a passion to read. I notice it in myself sometimes too- which says a lot since I’m an avid reader! There are so many wonderful books in this giveaway that I know have power to transform dormant readers into voracious ones! I’d love to share these with my class of 5th graders. One of my students’ mom is the librarian so any that aren’t necessarily for 5th would go to our school library! Win-win! Thank you for all you do.
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This is so lovely! The hardest thing about distance learning is getting books in kids’ hands. When I arrange to deliver books or leave them for office pick up the books have to be quarantined on return for a week. This makes it really difficult to have enough books to circulate.
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Thank you for this amazing giveaway, and for writing such amazing books to help us create lifelong readers! You are so right, I have thought I was tired in previous years, but I was never Zoom tired, or hybrid – classroom tired. It’s been a year, but my love if teaching kids to read is the one thing that has kept me going!
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Wow! After looking through this selection of books I’ve been imagining the looks on my students faces if I could bring these into the classroom. It’s been a trying year to say the least and one thing that has brought us together is sharing our favourite books and making recommendations. My students are loving our quiet reading time and our end of day read aloud. Thank you for doing this for the teachers but mostly the students. @hlmelville67
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As a 6th grade Literacy teacher who buys new books for the classroom like candy, winning this would be amazing and bring so much excitement to my classroom (and the need for another bookcase)! Thank you Linda and all
The KidLit, YA authors for sharing the love!
Twitter @readerleader5
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I’m in awe of the generosity of the authors in this giveaway. This year, we have given our students a book challenge, and they are eating it up…more reading than ever before.We’ve been F2F and the students have acclimated to staying with “their class” all day, outside recess in “zones,” and frequent sanitizing and cleaning. The 20-21 school year will be one we’ll never forget! @LinderDawn
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First off thank you for this amazing opportunity! My goal through this all was to get books into my learner’s hands and get them off the computer. I have made home deliveries and purchased multiple books due to quarantining, but my students all have hard copies of books. Thank you to all these amazing authors in building a love of literacy!
@KAllabach
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Thank you to all the authors, illustrators, and publishers who have found creative and innovative ways to help teachers and librarians share your works with students during this time. I am grateful to all of you and would love to share physical copies of your titles with my students!
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This is an amazing giveaway. I can only see my students remotely, so I have tried to keep connecting with them. I’ve sent packets with supplies and most recently sent valentines. I was just evaluated and my evaluator told me she almost cried when she saw all students have supplies to do our work. I am so grateful for each one of my students and their perserverence. They are my heroes! @newnameford
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What an amazing collection of books! Thank you for showing your appreciation for us teachers.
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My #bookjoy is having a student come in and realize that they can read and checkout anything. I recently just got the best compliment form a student I was told that I am really good at picking out books for readers. A had a teacher reach out to find out what my job entails for a friend and when I described my job she was like wow you do a lot I had no idea, you do so much.
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Wow! These titles are fantastic, I’ve read and shared several, but would love to have them all for my MS classroom. Thank you for the recognition. Reading is my passion and I love sharing that passion with my students!
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Lynda,
I am a high school English teacher–Department Head of English and Modern Languages. I love my job. I am grateful to have a job during this time. However, as a teacher, I have this found this time to be incredibly frustrating, isolating and worrying. I feel that my colleagues and I are being treated as essential only out of convenience, but very little is being done to support our efforts. People seem to forget that we’re human beings with families and other things to be concerned about. People keep throwing around buzz words like, “Kids’mental health,” but the responsibility of mental health seems to be dropped in our shoulders,and most of us aren’t trained in that area, and the decision-makers, and people with power just seem to act like nothing is different, and continue to have the exact same expectations. They keep offering programs to curb mental health and resources for online learning when the answer is the planning, organizing, and execution of schooling , all stuff that I had nothing to do with, because my colleagues and I were never consulted.
Thank-you for the opportunity to lighten my soul.
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Thank you to all of the authors and to you, Lynda! I am feeling the ❤️! Reading and connecting with authors and readers and educators is one thing that keeps my spirits up. The other is the KIDS! They need us, and they need YOU! Please keep zooming with students when you can, I’ve seen first hand how much it means to them.
For me, one of my biggest challenges is the constant pivot. (Insert Friends GIF here.🤣) I am a k-5 librarian but was told days before school started that I would be teaching kindergarten this year online. Then it was back to the library in person. Then we were virtual again, and I taught library and intervention virtually. Then back in person library, but intervention online. Now back to fully in person and 500 students visiting the library, but we can’t check out books like we used to. Instead, I’m checking them out to classroom teachers to share with students for now. I can’t catch my breath and I’ve learned to not get comfortable.
And, I miss my parent volunteers. So.much.
Thank you for showing us you care.
@erindaydreams
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Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to expand our library! I have been virtual since last March. Nonetheless, it hasn’t stopped my students from learning. I package books from my classroom library for them to pick up (or I drop off in some cases) for them to read, I’ve gotten to meet many family members and pets, and together we are making the best of the given situation. We are not giving up.
@jcae2008 (Twitter)
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Wow! This would be amazing! One of my favourite read alouds for my 5/6 class is Fish in a Tree! And there are so many amazing titles listed in this give away!!! My biggest challenge this year has been having to teach my class out of two rooms. It totally changes how I do so many things and is exhausting! Thanks for this opportunity!
@mscharles_class
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Thank you for such an amazing giveaway for teachers. I have been teaching 2nd grade virtual since March 2020. I am heading back to the school building for hybrid end of February. @ngmelissa08
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Thank you for this amazing opportunity. These are amazing books and I would be so honored To win and add these to my classroom library!! Plus I would look cool to my students…to have all these books signed by the authors. Thank you for honoring teachers…it has been a difficult year but we have persevered and see a light at the end of the tunnel!! @Kimarata
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Kids aren’t coming to the library themselves this year, so it’s a constant hustle to make sure kids learning at school and at home have access to books. One thing I’ve loved is instituting a weekly Zoom bedtime story. I get to meet pets, parents, and siblings and share stories and giggles.
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Thank you for your generosity and your writing!
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Lynda your generosity always amazes me! This year has been pure insanity but I am still getting so much joy out of handing kids books. My Literature Cafe class is still going strong with getting kids excited to read. We have had 4 virtual author visits and although it isn’t the same as in person it is the highlight of my days! I have also really enjoyed driving to kids who are full remote to bring them books. Desperate times call for desperate measures. We are also in the middle of our Winter Reading Challenge so many of these books, if I were to win, would be prizes. Thanks Lynda you rock.
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Thank you so much. I’m an elementary media specialist and that is quite the awesome list of books! This has been a weird year, for sure, but my goal to connect students with great books hasn’t changed.
My Twitter is @wordymel
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wow! the generosity of this giveaway is amazing!!! 💘 if i were to win i would split the books with my fifth grade team. i could not have made it through this year, or any year, without them & i would love to spread the love of reading to my amazing coworkers.
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What an amazing gift! A huge thank you for this thoughtful giveaway!!
@LibbyFrankelARI
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Wow this would be amazing! It’s definitely been an odd year of teaching. I usually do small group intervention and was moved to classroom teaching this year to help with distancing. I am embracing my role and hoping I am helping kids the best way I can.
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Twitter is krich312
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Lynda,
We started off this crazy school year reading Fish in a Tree while fully online, and I can’t tell how much this book helped us connect! Even though most of us are face to face now, books are what help keep us building on our relationships. Listening to books and talking about the characters brings the kids so much joy. Reading through these comments, I can’t say that we deserve these over other classrooms, but we are so grateful for the conversations and connections you’ve given us! Thank you for always being so supportive of teachers and kids!
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What a wonderful gift this will be to a lucky and much-deserving teacher! Thank you for this opportunity! My biggest win is seeing how much my students have grown as writers. When we started the year, most struggled to fill a few lines in our quick wrote time. Now, most are filling a page and some are turning it! They’re telling their stories and sharing their hearts. It is magic. The biggest struggle has been with the anxiety of the unknown. With needed to constantly be prepared, even more than normal, to reimagine, revise, and sometimes, completely reconstruct our learning experiences. It has been hard, but it has made me a much better teacher.
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What an amazing opportunity for educators! Being in virtual learning all year long, our elementary school library class has been optional for kids. Since they have limited experience with technology, it’s been challenging to get them to engage with books digitally. I am thankful for every single child that I can personally connect to books they love. We’ve connected with many generous authors this year who have donated virtual author visits and readings, which has blown our students beyond the bubbles they currently live in. Our library has been without a librarian for several years, and this was the first year they experienced an author visit. The average age of our print collection is 2002, so I am hoping to win this for our kids! Thanks for the opportunity! You can reach me at @carriebrowntx and @CRunLibrary.
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In a year of craziness, which includes obtaining a job in a brand new district amid a pandemic, the hardest thing for me has been getting books to my students. But the drop offs, socially distanced pick ups, hand offs quickly outside the school, and now FINALLY a modified, but working classroom library have all been worth it. To see my students find their reading lives or rediscover them after a year of hardship has been a beautiful thing. (Twitter – @kngiordano)
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You’ve outdone yourself! Getting books into kids’ hands is one of the most rewarding things in the world and it has been extremely hard to do the last year. It makes my heart happy to now these books will find their way into a library or classroom ☺️
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This year has made me realize I’m much stronger than I ever realized I was in so many ways as both a person & a librarian. We’ve been in person since August and I see 100+ kids a week with the ways they built my schedule. I have horrible anxiety and didn’t get out of bed for weeks when I found out we would be going to school in the summer but my commitment to my family with a daughter going to college & not wanting to let my students down really helped me push through. It’s still a mental struggle some weeks but seeing how far I’ve come & changing my entire lesson and way I teach around has just proven to myself I am capable and renewed my faith in teaching & myself overall.
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Thank you for this opportunity!! One huge positive in this crazy school year has been the books still coming off my shelves to be read. I have a great group of readers this year and they would love more options in our classroom!
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This year has been a struggle, but I’ve been blessed to have kids 5 days a week the entire way. Smaller class sizes have allowed for deeper connections to be made. We would have done lucky Niagara Wheatfield Falcon winners in the room! Thank you!
Rob
@Mr_U79
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I’m not sure if Canadian teachers are eligible but I do what to say what your doing is amazing! I spend so much of my own money on as do so many others and any chance I get to enter contest or get a new free book it’s exhilarating ♥️🙌 this year has been hard to share the things we want with students with virtual learning but we are strong and dedicated to our students growth!
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Love in the Time of Covid!
This giveaway epitomizes love. Books change the world one page at a time. As a former English teacher, and current middle school librarian, these author’s will reach an audience who often don’t have ample access to books. The school library being one of the only times students get to bask in the smell of a paperback, hold the power of information in their hands, or escape into a world that offers promise and hope! It would be amazing to forge this partnership and invite students to love despite the obstacles that they have faced!
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How AMAZING is this?! This year has certainly been very different. Connecting with students online instead of in the classroom has been hard. On the BRIGHT☀️side, those connections and relationships are still forming through books, learning, and love! In a world that is FULL of unknowns, those things have remained constant. -And for that I am grateful.
Twitter – @ChloeHardingCB
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#booklove!
How our 125 online 4th graders would love ❤️ to receive and read these amazing stories by our favorite authors!
What a special Valentine’s treat this would be to place a book in these students hands after a long year of virtual learning and reading!
Thank you for considering us!
We ❤️ to read, think and connect with powerful authors!
Love,
Mrs. S. Miles 😊
@smiles3boys
Stephanie_miles@hboe.org
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This is so wonderfully generous! Winning this fabulous collection of #mglit would be a blessing. The kids and I would have a blast adding them to our classroom library, read alouds, and #classroombookaday. These moments have been bright spots through our pandemic school year.
@sanditeach4fun
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This is so generous and wonderful! Thank you to all the authors and publishers and educators! We have been in-person all year on a hybrid schedule. Its been a hard year but the kids are doing great because we’ve been in a routine all year and that is key. As the librarian I am always looking for diverse and wonderful literature to expose my littles to the world around them. Thank you and God bless!!
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This is such an amazing giveaway with so many books that I know my students would love to read. There are many on this list that I have already read and ❤️! It’s been a tough year in the library with having to quarantine books & to have every student come once a week during a pandemic. I’m just thankful that at our school we have created a mask wearing culture. We all feel more comfortable and I just want to keep getting more books into the hands of the kids. Thanks for this opportunity and your kind words for us teachers and librarians:) @khakhmarina 💜 #authorsloveteachers
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Holy cow! What an awesome list of books!
I’ve been “in person” full time since the beginning of September. Never a dull moment– and absolutely exhausting. BUT I get to be in a classroom with fifth graders and hand them books. Sharing books in the time of COVID means we have to quarantine books after students read them so, sometimes, kids need to wait a while before they can read a book. They would love a new set of books to share/read/love.
Thank you for the opportunity…
@kjd2468
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This is an incredible giveaway! I’ve loved getting new books in the hands of my students that represent their lives and their interests. Your appreciation of the work we do as teachers is much appreciated.
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Thank you so much! I’ve been following you since your first book came out and continue to share your books with my students. I can’t wait to read the next books your publish. @elisaw5
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This year we have been able to be either all in person or some form of hybrid. In library, this has meant only checkouts & no activities or read alouds. So checkouts have been a huge focus! As always but this year we had to find new ways to make it extra fun. There have certainly been technology struggles but it’s been a learning experience for all! Proud of all educators this year!
Twitter: @MsFredMedia
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Wow. This is an amazing collections of great books. Thank you for recognizing librarians. I am working at a K-6 school still in full virtual learning trying desperately to keep students reading in this crazy environment. I’m reading aloud to them every chance I get. Trying to keep older elementary students engaged on virtual class time is the definition of pounding your head against a wall. Thank heavens for the few kiddos in each class willing to turn on their cameras and/or mics to give us a snippet of interaction. This is my first year at this school, having moved cross country last summer, so many of my students I would not recognize if I walked up to them. I live for our monthly distribution days when I can have a glimpse of them, pass out library books, and give away books from my personal shelf. Thank you for all that you do and cheers to all the teachers and librarians here.
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Wow!!!! The introduction to the giveaway was so heartfelt and loving. Thank YOU for recognizing the hard work teachers put in everyday. The books in the giveaway all look incredible and will be an amazing asset to any classroom library.
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The generosity of Lynda and the other authors is incredible! Teaching has always been a lot of work and this year is just a different level of energy, worry, and positivity. We can do this!
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ZOINKS! This is a teacher’s dream come true! So many great authors in this gift to build a love of literacy for my students❣️
Though it’s been a struggle to trim the fat from what I’ve taught in past years, I have realized a couple of important things I will carry forward with me in my teaching;
1) When I truly believe that what I’m teaching is essential I am a better teacher, 2) by slowing down, giving my children time to digest and relish our reading together, they discover their desire to read on their own & will hunt for books to get lost in, 3) once we find the right texts, ALL children love to be read to!
Thank you for promoting the importance of literacy and a love of reading❣️
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What an amazing giveaway! This school year, I have been teaching 2/3 of my students in a hybrid setting and 1/3 of my students synchronously in an all virtual setting. It has been the most difficult of my 12 years of teaching. But, the students never cease to amaze me with their resilience and optimism. They truly are the ones that keep me going every day. What a gift it would be to share this giveaway with them!!
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I have taken your words, your message, and your books to heart since reading One for the Murphy’s and seeing many of my students in your words. After hearing you at a CCIRA conference a few years ago, your books have become staples in my building. I love handing your books to students and hearing their feedback about how they see themselves in your characters. I would love to continue to inspire my readers by being able to offer so many different titles to them. My student’s needs with reading is super diverse so any variety helps to engage them as readers. I wish you well and a huge thank you for taking the time to create this opportunity for a lucky educator.
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@lolo_colorado
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I don’t even know my own Twitter handle 🤦🏽♀️🤣 @LoLoColorado03
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All I want to do I get as many books as I can into the hands of my students. My middle school reading classes revolve around instilling a love of reading. It is tough at this age if they haven’t caught the reading bug yet. One of the main reasons is that someone turned them off from reading sometime in their lives. Many students didn’t even know that choice reading existed until this year. I hope to not only encourage more reading by even the most reluctant readers, but to also educate others about the importance of choice for independent reading. Abolish reading “levels”.
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@kseav17
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What an incredible library of books! My school is back to hybrid. Our school library is packed up in boxes and the space is being used as classrooms. Thank goodness for my local public library-I have books to share and read with students! Their smiles, laughter and enthusiasm for reading inspires me to keep going! @ksfusco
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This is an incredible giveaway! This school year has just been hard no matter what each classroom looks like. It’s comforting to know that people see us and see how hard we are working. Thank you! @giffordm621
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WOW this is such a huge giveaway! I always look forward to this opportunity, but after beginning this school year I needed something to look forward to – and this was the perfect opportunity! I love that so many people come together to help make this possible, thank you to everyone for their effort & donations. If I happen to win we will have some very appreciative 4th graders. Congrats to whoever the lucky winner is!
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What an amazing list! My greatest joy, in spite of everything this year, is finding the right book for the right kiddo. I sent 3 books home for a student in quarantine and got a picture from his mom showing how happy he was.
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Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. This has been a tough year just trying to connect to students virtually. It is super exciting to see all the wonderful books and that everyone is coming together to support teachers and schools.
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This is by far the most valuable gift one can receive! Truly appreciate all the hard work and commitment you have provided.
Obviously, this year has been a bumpy for all! But, books has played a role in leaving room for positivity and strength, to the point, with support and motivation, I managed to open an online bookstore!
Nevertheless, books will always be key, from experience, to endless opportunities, inspiration, motivation….
Thank you for taking the time to create such a memorable and meaningful event/giveaway! ♥️
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I’m so excited that one of my fellow educators will win this wonderful collection of books. I am an English language specialist at a school that is hybrid. But due to space and time constraints I still teach most of my students virtually (on the days they are not in school.) I miss everything about teaching pre-pandemic. The saving grace has been my volunteer work with a teacher run Bookmobile started by one of my dear friends last spring. In an effort to get books into the hands of kids when school shut down she bought a trailer, fitted it with shelves, and stocked it with thousands of books. There are four of us teachers who take the “Lending Library with Love” bringing books to neighborhoods where books at home are scarce. Our Bookmobile runs are where I most feel like a teacher these days. I love seeing the joy children get picking out books and sharing their reading with us. @bookamiga on twitter and Instagram
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I could feel my heart beating faster & faster (on Valentine’s Day!) as I scrolled through all the books you’ve gathered for us! And now I’m fantasizing a recreation of that Oprah moment for my 56 fifth graders…”You get a book! You get a book!! YOU get a book, YOU ALL GET A BOOK!!” 😃
Thank you for all the time & effort you put in to creating this exciting opportunity!!
Signed, @Hannon5thELA
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This is the greatest giveaway ever! What an amazing selection of books and authors. As a special education teacher, who has both on-site AND virtual learners, plus a student teacher, it would be so awesome to share some of these with them. What a reward for all of us! Even if I don’t win, I’m thankful for your kind words about teachers everywhere. By the way, I LOVE the Lord of the Rings reference: One Winner will Win them All. Hilarious!
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#AuthorsLoveTeachers thank you for this amazing opportunity! I am in love with these books!! @RRhondasutton
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This is the most amazing giveaway EVER! Oh my goodness. I’ve been teaching on zoom for almost a year.. and man it’s been a journey. Thank you for honoring teachers with this giveaway.. I can’t wait to see who wins!!!
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Wow this is incredibly kind. It has been a year of ups and downs and many emotions.
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This giveaway is beyond generous. Code word this year is “flexible”. We all knew this year would be different. I started the year thinking I would be self-contained. Two weeks into the year because of numbers I was switched to ELA/SS with a partner. I was flexible. Once we started, I had 10 in class and 12 online with no working document camera…again flexible. My class is a mix of GT students and SPED students (including behavior issues)…flexible. And heartbreaking many have very little at home. I’m the constant for them. I have learned technical skills this year and have an amazing team to work with…I am blessed. Thank you for the chance.
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Thank you for your support of educators!! I would love these books to share with my students!
@mrskellyreads
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Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I would love the chance to share these diverse stories with my EL students.
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Super excited for this opportunity. As a pk-12 librarian I am constantly searching for ways to acquire more books for our shelves and for giveaways. Thank you so much for providing the stories that help us create readers.
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This is my first year in the library. The strength in our teachers I have seen this year is mind blowing! Thank you for the acknowledgment!!
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Not sure which is harder…being on the teaching side with my students or helping my 8 year old with her on line classes. Motivation is the challenge!. Your books are incredible and I so appreciate your generosity Thanks to all the amazing authors!
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Thank you so much Lynda and all the talented authors who contributed to this outstanding collection of books! I am an elementary school library media specialist in a Title1 school who has been teaching virtually since last March. I am about to go back into school in a hybrid format and can’t wait to see students back in their ‘school home’. I would LOVE to win these books to share them with all my K-5 kiddos, in class, in book clubs and lunch bunches, and to pass them on to those students I know can’t afford to buy beautiful new books of their own.
@MrsPMedia
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Thank you to all the many authors who are continuing to support teachers and young readers, especially during this time. My 6th graders have been hybrid since September, and some have been remote full time since then. One of the hardest things has been getting books in kids’ hands when they’re not present. We’re all zoom tired—students and teachers alike! @tonsofbooks
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Thank you so much for loving teachers! One thing that has not changed this year is that whether we’ve been virtual or in person (we’ve done both), we share books daily through book talks, read alouds, and First Chapter Fridays. It has been especially important this year to be able to get lost for a bit in wonderful stories. Thank you, authors. Where would we be without you?
@GreenReads4Fun
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Thank you for the opportunity to win these for my students! We have been distance learning since 3/16/20, it’s been a struggle for both students and teachers alike. but we have persevered. We’ll be returning to in person learning on 3/1/21 and it would be wonderful to add these to our classroom library! Thank you to everyone who participated to bring this opportunity to our students! @ksnsln
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Thank you for sponsoring this giveaway again this year. I’ve been blessed to teach face-to-face, hybrid, and distance with my 8th grade students this year. Some of my Zoom guests have been dogs, rescued cats, a gerbil, and a ferret. My students are wonderful and we do practice grace before grades.
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This year has been a challenge like any other. Hybrid teaching is no joke. It has taken a toll every teacher. Throughout it though, I have gotten to witness the strength, resilience, and flexibility of teachers. We have adapted. We have pushed ourselves further than ever imaginable. I’m beyond proud of each and every one of my colleagues. I am proud of myself. I’m proud of my students who have also had to take on a new set of challenges. Thank y’all for doing such a wonderful giveaway. @MrsMyersCFISD
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Thank you so much for streaming this incredible giveaway! One of my favorite ways to bring joy to my students is to provide them with lots of high quality texts to read. I know whoever wins this will be so excited! @emcdonaldteach
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I finished my degree in May, graduated in the pandemic, and took my first job as a full teacher librarian in a new district this year. We are in a hybrid model, but our library schedule is to teach all students remotely – us from our buildings, the kiddos from home. All zoom, all the time! I’m thankful to be doing it, and the kids are so great. I’m looking forward to a time when I can guiding relationships with them in person, as well as collaborating more in support of my classroom colleagues!
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This is absolutely amazing and has me in tears! You have organized an exceptional way to honor teachers in the best way…books! This year has been a hard year starting over with new teachers as most left for other district schools. However, it has been a fantastic year with brand new teachers who unfortunately will be at new schools next year as we start up a STEAM school. The students once again will have new faces plus a new principal. This would be extraordinary to be able to add new books in which they could choose from and possibly take home and read. Our students are EL and/or poverty. They need books rich in diversity. Thank you for this opportunity supporting teachers!
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Lynda, you know I adore you. And every year when you do this, I am so proud and grateful to know you. But this year, reading what you wrote about teachers, and knowing how much these authors value our profession, I was moved to tears. After a year where I’ve worked harder than I ever have and faced more disregard and disrespect than ever from society, this giveaway means a lot. My fellow teachers and I feel seen and loved. To all of the participating authors: Thank you for being you!
@CherylTeaches
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Thank you for thinking of us during this time! I woke up this morning from a full panic anxiety-filled teaching dream. Usually those only happen in August…so that should tell you how this year is going. #AuthorsLoveTeachers #TeachersLoveAuthorsToo
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This is an amazing giveaway! Thank you for showing teachers some love and appreciation!
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This is absolutely amazing and has me in tears! You have organized an exceptional way to honor teachers in the best way…books! This year has been a hard year starting over with new teachers as most left for other district schools. However, it has been a fantastic year with brand new teachers who unfortunately will be at new schools next year as we start up a STEAM school. The students once again will have new faces plus a new principal. This would be extraordinary to be able to add new books in which they could choose from and possibly take home and read. Our students are EL and/or poverty. They need books rich in diversity. My favorite part of the day is talking about books with kids. When they can’t wait to share a book with me,, it just melts my heart. Books break down so many walls and develop connections that may never have been discovered.Thank you for this opportunity supporting teachers which allow us to support students.
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Thank you so much for honoring educators. When I work, we have been virtual all year, our last day in the classroom was March 13th – we left work that day expecting to be virtual for two weeks, it’s now been 11months. We begin hybrid in a couple weeks. A big success I’ve had virtual is collaborating with my amazing colleagues to persevere and connect with our absolutely incredible kindergarteners- I am amazed by them each day. Our kinders can do things on a computer that would impress anyone! They have learned so much and I am so proud of them! These books would be an incredible addition, the ones that are too high for us would given to our sister schools. Thank you 💕
Sincerely, @Bookdragon_Kat
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What an amazing giveaway. Thank you for the opportunity!
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What an amazing giveaway!
Books make it possible for me to show students how people survive! Having great books to share with my students allows them to be seen and to safely discuss tough topics!
Thank you!
@MsPoulosJGHS
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Wow! This is amazing! This year has been exhausting! It has pushed me to learn quite a few new things technolgy-wise, though!
@lostinalongbook
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What a year!!! Thank you for being there to support teachers!
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This year has been different, for sure. My 89 year dad started failing in July of 2020. After a brief hospital stay it became clear he couldn’t go back to living alone, but with covid we couldn’t bear the thought of putting him in a nursing home. I resigned from my job the week school started and was able to be with him at his home for the last few weeks of his life, something I feel so fortunate for. In November an opportunity opened up at my school so I was blessed to be able to return to work. It’s wonderful to be back working with the kids again. Most of our kids are in person, but a few remain online. You are wonderful to offer this giveaway and would love to be able to share these books with our students! ❤️ @MrsRoyall215
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What an amazing show of love. It is much appreciated. And so many fantastic books. I have been doing home study virtually for 4th-7th grade students this year. It is overwhelming, especially as I am also teaching my kindergartener. But we are resilient, we are learning, and we have found ways to connect and build community despite the obstacles. I send home books as much as possible, even dropping them off at houses. I had many books not make their way back to me when we shut down unexpectedly last spring. But I just hope that by continuing to send books out into the world they will be read. And without you authors, the books would not exist. We appreciate you so much for continuing to write books that will reach all of our students.
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Our school library has been inactive this year as we’ve had to use it for a teacher planning area and our librarian is teaching third grade. We’ve had no funding for books until just recently, but students still can’t check out books. I’ve been so thankful to have a classroom library that has been rich enough to get my kiddos through the year so far! I’d love to share these books with my students and others in our school. As always, thank you so much!
@jennygr4
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Thank you for thinking about us teachers during this crazy time! I work with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students and this has been especially hard for them. Through the joy of reading I can share language and love ❤️
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I am a veteran educator of 40 years with the last 16 years as a school library media specialist. Back in the spring of last year when this whole thing exploded and everyone was working from home in order to keep up with the technology needs of students, teachers, and administrators I needed to get creative. I set up and gave out my Google Voice number so that if anyone had issues or needed help and I wasn’t at my laptop I could still reach out with guidance or make them an appointment to get one on one assistance. Since I was working with HS students at the time I had many days where I was troubleshooting at all hours of the day, including between 10 PM and 2 AM for all of our night owls. #MeetingThemWhereTheyAreAt
@dray1959 andreaparisi1959@gmail.com
andrea.parisi@ocps.net
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This collection of books is amazing- a wish list and a “now I need this” list all in one! This experience- since last spring- has been surreal, exhausting. The one thing that has connected us as a class has been books- particularly read alouds. Those shared experiences of story give us something that we can talk about no matter what our academic achievement level. My students know how much I love books and that has helped us as a class- my students do book talks now and their classmates clamor for the recommended reads. Thank you for this – it is inspiring and warms my heart to know that there are people who truly appreciate teachers and kids.
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Thank you for all of your support, thoughtfulness and kind words! It has been a crazy year for sure. I am teaching remotely for the year and am so thankful we can still share stories from a distance.
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Getting new books into my students’ hands has helped take the sting out of this painful year+! It has been quite a process, to say the least, but finding solutions to the logistics has been the #1 goal. Knowing that they can escape from the current situation for a little bit makes it worthwhile!
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WOW…so many great books! I would love to be the winner of this book jackpot for my school library. Being able to share all of these great books with avid/struggling readers would make my heart happy! Thanks for all you do for teachers and librarians!
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Woohoo! This is awesome
@anilawc
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I just graduated in December and would love to start cultivating my classroom library more! My district is full of EL students who would love to see themselves represented.
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This list is amazing! Thanks for all you do for teachers and librarians!
@MrsYeppez on Twitter
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Teaching 7th grade ELA remotely to 85 public school students. My Twitter self @Miz_Clayton and real self thank you for hosting this giveaway.
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This is a spectacular group of books! It would make a great addition to my elementary library and create excitement for the students who have been through so much this last year. Thank you and all the authors for the chance to win! @ad_fentress
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March 13, 2020 was the last day that I had students in person. As a 5th grade Language Arts teacher, my biggest challenge has been getting books into my students’ hands. This year, as I have taught 100% virtually, I have been able to continue to build a love of reading with my students. Through the use of Epic and Sora, I have continued to connect students to books. Now, as my district begins to bring cohorts of students into the building, I look forward to being able to hand students books from my classroom library.
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What an incredible collection of books, thank you for the opportunity to win them! I would love to share them with our learning community @SilverdaleLib #authorsloveteachers and #TeacherLibrariansloveauthors #booksinspire
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Wow, thank you for doing this! I’m a librarian at an elementary school and would love to have some new books for the students! @Radbooks is my twitter handle.
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This has been a year of reinventing our idea of school as well as what is really important. Having fun & being a school family. Thank you so much for showing love to fellow educators.
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This is such a kind giveaway. After the craziness of this year, it’s so nice to see!
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Thanks for the opportunity. It’s been challenging to figure out a safe way to get books into the hands of our students during the pandemic.
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What a beautiful list of books!! Whoever wins will change lives with these titles. I’ve already added them to my own wish list!
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Oh. My. Goodness. What an amazing giveaway. Thank you for organizing this and the generosity of all the contributing authors. This has absolutely been a year unlike any other and to say that reading and reading kid-lit has gotten me through hard parts of it, isn’t an understatement. When the world is hard and there are too many demands, sometimes all we can do is get lost in a good book. Thanks for all you’re doing to keep us sane!
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Thank you so much! It has been a year full of obstacles for sure. I truly appreciate the kindness and generosity of all involved in this giveaway. I’m so excited for the children who will find these books in their hands. Loaning books from my personal classroom library has been one of the greatest rewards of this year for my remote students. Wishing all the other teachers all the best for the rest of the school year!
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Handing these books to my students when they come back into the classroom will bring such joy, both to them and to me. So many wonderful titles. You never cease to amaze with your generosity. Much gratitude to all authors involved. @sandyrotto
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Thank you just doesn’t seem to be enough of response. As a literacy interventionist, I have spent a lot of time and money getting books into kids’ hands throughout our shutdowns due to Covid. Since returning to F2F instruction, my books are flying off the shelf. Our library is not allowing students to check out books so they are all coming to my shelves. I LOVE being able to recommend books to kids and be there to guide their choices. I just need more books… Thank you for putting this together and recognizing the work teachers do to connect with kids through literacy.
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This year has been so tough. Getting kids to read even though they couldn’t come to the library, fundraising even though we couldn’t hold book fairs, and buying new books without any time to think about what books we want! A gift like this would be amazing. I could keep the books we don’t have in our library and give away the copies of the ones we don’t. Some of these look like younger readers, a section I’m always trying to purchase for our supported unit and our reading classes.
Thank you so much for the opportunity. Teachers are told they are appreciated all the time…but the appreciation rarely helps them. This does. 🙂
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Forgot my contact info – @hrmason.
This year has been so tough. Getting kids to read even though they couldn’t come to the library, fundraising even though we couldn’t hold book fairs, and buying new books without any time to think about what books we want! A gift like this would be amazing. I could keep the books we don’t have in our library and give away the copies of the ones we don’t. Some of these look like younger readers, a section I’m always trying to purchase for our supported unit and our reading classes.
Thank you so much for the opportunity. Teachers are told they are appreciated all the time…but the appreciation rarely helps them. This does. 🙂
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Not only is the idea of this giveaway extremely affirming to the profession of us teachers, especially during this time when unfortunately the love is not always felt, but even more so is this blog post. You get it. You know what zoom tired means. 🙂 Thank you for your work as an author, the work you put into organizing this giveaway, and more importantly the time you took to show teachers everywhere genuine gratitude.
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Thank you for such a drool-worthy give away! You had me at book 3 but the list of greats just kept going and going. I appreciate your kind support of teachers. This year has been exhausting in so many ways, and yet my students still inspire me, make me laugh every day, and make it all worthwhile. It has been harder to pull students into good books but I have been loaning out my classroom library, driving the books to students’ homes if I need to. A great classroom library with fantastic books is the best way to hook readers. I am hoping that soon, I will be able to have my class return to my room and continue to work on growing readers who love books.
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I would love to win these for my teachers and students to have in their classroom libraries, so they have more access. Students are not able to visit as a class this year and place holds instead that we deliver.
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Hi! This year has been wild to say the least! It started with my admin assuming that the library would just be closed.. just like that they wanted to shut out doors and I said “oh, heck no – we’re opening!”. I did my research and found a safe way to provide library books to the kids during covid and even though it’s just a curbside pickup and they can’t come inside the room, I am thrilled to still be able to get books into the hands of my students. My favorite part throughout this experience has been the emails from students asking for suggestions for their next book… that makes it all worth it 🙂
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Just like everyone else, this has been the most challenging year of teaching in my career. Now with distancing, I so miss gathering my kiddos around in a carpet and reading great read alouds to them. I miss building suspense, seeing them love characters and beg for me not to stop…. it makes me sad to think about how much I miss it.
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This is so kind at a time when it is so needed. Our school has been heavily focused on getting to homes and making certain students have what they need and books are huge on that list. So many of our students don’t have reading material at home. If the school can help by keeping a steady supply greeting to them, it is the least we can do.
@absloan2000
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It is so exciting to scroll through the covers of the books in this giveaway. There are so many titles I haven’t heard of and would be thrilled to bring to my students! Thank you for making this possible.
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I just really can’t comprehend the generosity of this giveaway. And for teachers to be seen right now for all we are going through and all we are doing is just so uplifting. This school year has been like no other, but we put our kids first and ourselves last every day to make it all it can be. Thank you for the opportunity, but thank you even more for the support. @laperry76 @BanoakMedia
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Through all of what we have been through this year, books have been an escape for our students and children. They can take us on an adventure or be the one constant we need at that moment. YOU have made all the difference for our students and we thank all the authors here for their dedication to our children!
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This school year has been a new experience. I thought I was tech-savvy, but this year challenged that on a whole new level. I have been working on a lot of professional development to enrich my students’ learning. Also, I have been trying to build a stronger culture of reading by giving away books to my students. Through diversifying my classroom library and introducing students to new books, I am slowly building students’ love for reading. My Twitter is @CulturalTeacher. Thank you for this opportunity.
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This is amazing! I have been trying to implement book clubs and virtual learning as put a damper on that so this would be a great opportunity for when we open back up! My Twitter is @jmcneil14
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This has been quite a year. Thank you so much for this give away! I have been Zooming with my students since March and what a roller coaster ride! March 2020 I taught K-5 special education, then I was switched to special education 5th grade and a new group of kids….. over the summer I was reassured I would be back to what I had done before, but then I went to pack my room up for the summer and my name was off the door and it was down the hall in 1st grade! I was switched to coteach 1st grade and teach special education without being told….but the ride wasn’t over. In November I was switched to 4th grade regular education. I haven’t taught regular education homeroom in more than 8 years and I had 3 days to get ready, at home, virtually until the end of the year with 2 groups of students from my school and a neighboring school. I have learned to but in my best and just keep going. I know it won’t last forever.
Jen @wallburner
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This is an amazing giveaway. Thank-you for this act of kindness and to all the authors that take part. I am at a school that has been in-person since September. There have been lots of changes this year and extra work to keep us all safer. We are missing a lot of things that make school great but we still have many opportunities for personal connections and amazing books like these are part of that. Please disqualify me if this is a US only giveaway. My Twitter handle is @iceNIN75.
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Thank you for this opportunity. I’m not on Twitter, but I shared this to Facebook. Books are the gateway to so much…and being a middle school teacher, there are just some things that my students are going through that a book can help with more than I can. Books can talk to my students about the things they aren’t ready to talk about to anyone out loud. This is SO important. The more books that I can provide to my students that cover all topics that make them feel real, validated, felt, and seen, the better. Again, thank you for this opportunity.
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These are amazing books! Thank you for all the authors! I can’t wait to teach in-person and share books with students again. My beginner English Learners are struggling; they need books to hold and read. Twitter is @esljaana
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It would be amazing to win all 125 of these books. How I wish it will be me, but I will be so glad for whichever hardworking teacher or librarian wins. This school year has been challenging. Microsoft Teams Tired is just as much of a thing. But, I still love teaching and being within earshot of my Scholars. I wish they all were back in the classroom. We use a Hybrid model of instruction. I just make the most of the time I have with them. We still share Good News, tell corny jokes, enjoy read-alouds. I love them with all I have and I make sure to tell them after each of our two live sessions every day. @NorrisDonnetta
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What a line up of books!! This year in Battle of the Books, our gr 4s are reading Fish In A Tree. So many wonderful connections happening to help us understand others.
@Lila_TL_EWP
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Wow! What a wonderful gift these gifts will be! • I’d love to put these books into the hands of readers at Madison Place where I am the librarian. I’ve taught sine 1992 & am a first year librarian in a crazy year of budget cuts, hybrid, and remote learning. • My twitter handle is @janellestigall.
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Thanks a million for the amazing opportunity to win these books! Your generosity and care for us is so very much appreciated!! Happy Valentine’s Day!!
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This is over the top amazing. This year has been so challenging being hybrid, but I have been so grateful to have been in person until 12:30 5 days a week with remote afternoons.
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dlawyer@wsesu.net
@destinylawyer (Twitter)
destinymomof4 (Instagram)
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Virtual teaching has been both challenging and rewarding. I actually love being “inside” my students’ homes and they in mine. I have met more siblings, pets, and caregivers this year than any other! And we all still love sharing books together.
@JulieBLibrarian
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This is amazing. What a beautiful library you are awarding to someone!
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You are wonderful to offer this giveaway. My school would love these (I’m a librarian). We take it one day at a time. Twitter: @LibrarianBailey
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Thank you for this amazing opportunity! The K-6 school I am at would love these in the library or in their teacher’s classroom! It has definitely been a rough school year and giveaways like this make everyone excited. I usually am on a fixed schedule but this year I see some classes more than once a week and coming up with lessons and ideas that I have time to create but that kids like is sometimes a challenge. However, it makes me smile at bus duty when my little kindergartners see me and say “I have you today!” or when a book is out of quarantine for a student who gets excited that they were the next one on the hold list.
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I am in my first year running a school library as a paraprofessional, there are no certified school librarian positions open in our area. I just graduated with my MSLS and work part time running an elementary school library. I have received so little funds for this library, so I enter these giveaways and have been applying for grants to add diversity books to a library that needs so much updating! Positives have been a supportive principal who is beginning to see the importance of a great school library program. Thank you for supporting school librarians and teachers with these giveaways. I only have 3 of the books on this list and WANT them all for my students.
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@musicallibrari1 (Joanna Sargent)
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I teach reading intervention to 9th graders. It’s been VERY frustrating to do in a virtual setting. We start hybrid learning in a week. I’m figuring out a safe way to let kids borrow from my 6 shelves of library and thrift store castoffs.
(Twitter handle @swingdancefan)
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I’ve always believed that books are the balm that can soothe any ache of the heart or soul. Thank you for honoring the work that teachers and librarians have been doing during this difficult year. We may not be able to be together in our classes or schools, but we can still be together in the magic of a story. 💖 📚
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Oh, what a wonderful collection of MG books. YOU ALL DID YOURSELVES PROUD.
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This is proof that the entire community of creators of children’s literature is the best – 100% hands down THE BEST! Thank you for seeing educators and wanting to help out. I have been in awe of the generosity that the kidlit community has shown since last March. The past year has not been easy on anyone, including all of you authors. We appreciate the opportunity to enter this incredible giveaway!
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This would be so amazing for my school libraries. I work in two K-5 elementary schools in SE Massachusetts, one of which is a Title 1 school. We lost about $4k in books due to last spring’s shutdown, with a replacement budget that is about 5% of that amount. Our district has prioritized salaries, safety, and technology over other new materials. It makes sense but is a real blow to the district library collections. @libraryfrancis
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It’s been quite a year, and actually getting books into my students’ hands as we’ve moved from all virtual to hybrid/virtual and back again has been a challenge. But book talks can happen over Google Meet, and curbside library pick-up are a thing!
This is an amazing list. Some books I’ve read and shared with my 6th graders, and some are new to me…and need to go on my TBR stack. Thank you so much for offering this opportunity. My fingers are crossed!
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So great evil for this fantastic opportunity for an educator/librarian this year! It’s been the hardest year of my 23 years of teaching. Long days, little resources and more stress than ever. I do look forward to my students making me laugh each day and reminding me why I do what I do!
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Not sure why “evil” made its way in there…darn autocorrect 🤦🏼♀️It was supposed to say “grateful”
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Wow! What a generous give away!
This has been a year like no other! After caring for and losing my dad to ALS in February, the pandemic hit in March and I moved to a new school in October. In the Librarian to a a rural K-8 school whose library hasn’t been updated in 15 years. In between pushing into classes I’m weeding books, genre-fying the library and putting together my wish list for new books. Fingers crossed we can welcome students back into our library in the Fall!
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Wow! This is an amazing list of books. Thanks for the chance to win them. Our budgets are frozen for the rest of the year due to a decrease in enrolled students as a result of hybrid and distance learning. We are back to in-person and distance learning. Media specialists are teaching both ways and wishing we could buy books for students. Keeping my fingers crossed that I can share with my media center colleagues. 😍
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Thank you so much for such a wonderful opportunity for our students! I have been blessed to be in a state and district that has had in-person learning the entire year. The most difficult struggle was at the beginning of the year in our brand new school and beautiful new library when students couldn’t come to the library for class and I had to wheel book carts to their classrooms for checkout. Fortunately, this didn’t last long and we have been in the library for many months now. The students are still dying for the day that they can browse the entire library and pull books off the shelves themselves and sit in all the awesome collaborative flexible seating that we have. I feel blessed that I have been able to get books into the hands of all students all year long! My students would be over the moon for these books to all join our library. Thanks for your kindness and efforts to bless others! @mrs_pfaff
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Excited and hopeful to add these books to my school library! We have most of our students and so glad to see them! School is challenging, sanitizing, and sanitizing again and worrying about our students and ourselves and our families. One day, class, student at a time.
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This is just amazing! Thanks to you and so many other amazing authors that fill my fifth grade classroom with literature that we can discuss and learn from! I went back into the classroom full time this year and I couldn’t have been happier. Boy, is it different…but to be able to be with the students is a gift. Thank you again for this opportunity! @mrsliakonis
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Amazing collection of books! Being a librarian during the pandemic has been rough. Especially figuring out how the kids not at school will be able to check out the books they love!!
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Thank you for this amazing opportunity. I’ve been teaching, in person, 5 days/week since September. It has been challenging and takes teacher tired to a whole new level with masks, social distancing and sanitizing protocols. 2 positives: 1. kids are resilient and really appreciate being in the building. 2. Books have been our lifeline to many meaningful discussions that have helped us through all we are enduring. My students and I would live and appreciate this gift.
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This year has been a challenge, but it has had moments of triumph, too. The day that my virtual students spontaneously started talking about books they had read and loved and giving each other recommendations made me incredibly happy. Thanks for the support and love!
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Thank you for such a fabulous giveaway! In my seventh grade ELA classroom, I have been F2F and using Google Meet simultaneously with my students from day one of the school year. It’s a tough job, especially this year, but I still love it, thanks to authors like you and everybody else who donated books. Most days, I can’t believe they pay me to talk about great books with kids!
@mermessier
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Hello! Thank you so much for sponsoring this amazingly generous giveaway! I’m a middle school librarian and my biggest challenge has been managing helping teachers with my own classes and responsibilities. I have to agree I actually don’t mind Zoom meetings. I know they’re tough, but I made the decision at the beginning of the school year to lower my expectations for academic achievements this year. I’ve focused on building relationships with students & helping them find their resiliency this school year!
Feel free to find me on Twitter & give a follow! @ thelewview
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Thank you for the love – teachers love authors too! The hardest part of this past year has been seeing so many students struggling with their social & emotional health. Fortunately, we have books to turn to for hope and refuge. We’d love to have these to our class library; thank you Lynda and to all of the generous authors!
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Thank you so very much for recognizing the challenges for educators over the last 12 months! While I continue to feel blessed to have a career I love, this seasoned teacher has felt the impact of teaching in person full time. No matter who wins, your incredibly generous giveaway will bring joy to so many students! Thank you again! @ORlibrarian
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Wow, this is so amazing! Books have really gotten me through this tough season of life and I’m so grateful that I can dive into a book and forget about everything else temporarily.
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What a wonderful opportunity to put more books into the hands of students! Thank you so much,
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Wow! Thank you Lynda for your ongoing support of educators. I appreciate how often that you have shown your gratitude and doing via such grand giveaways like this one. Thank you to all of the authors that have donated their book to be added in a classroom or library. This is my 22nd year teaching 6th graders and I’m grateful when students are able to be at school in-person. We’ve been back
and forth a lot between online and in-person learning. We are pushing through. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness. These books would be an amazing addition to my classroom library. All the best!
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This is AMAZING!! Thank you for thinking of us and for recognizing how hard this has been for teachers. I appreciate you. I have been teaching for 25 years and this feels like my first. I was a literacy coach, but since my position was cut in June, I am teaching 4th grade. I haven’t been a classroom teacher in 13 years. I really just want my students to love reading, and to be healthy and happy. Thank you so much for this give away!! @milomelamanzana
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This year has had ups and downs. As much of a challenge virtual teaching had been, my students so preserve every day. They always show up and show me that my time and effort are worth it!
@ebechsteinbgcs on Twitter
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All of these books?!? That would be amazing. It’s been a tough year this would brighten it. Thanks for the chance!
@Mrs_TSchmidt
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Thank you so much for this opportunity. I would love to share these books with my students. These times have allowed me to teach small classes, and I’m loving and enjoying this time with my students more than I ever have (I know they will all be coming back five days a week next month.). I may not be the best at teaching social studies or language arts, but my students know I love them. They also know how much I love books and how much I want them to love books and become lifelong readers. @hulihaley
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Wonderful to hear. Being an Avid Reader, I always introduce new books and genres to my children. Have inculcated the habit of appreciating individual differences and perspectives through reading books. Would love tho have this collection in my Library. I work in The Indian Public School, Salem, Tamilnadu, India. It is an IB PYP school and fosters students to appreciate diversity. My twitter handle – @VidhyaG12
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Oh my goodness what a wonderful gift! As a new librarian in a brand new school, I’ve been lucky to be in person but following COVID protocols for quarantining books has limited the selection for students at times. So many students are eager to find their next great read that it keeps me excited despite feeling overwhelmed! Thank you for this opportunity! @MrsG4library
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What an amazing collection of books – you have some awesome friends! What a wonderful collection of comments from amazing teachers! What an awesome giveaway during these trying times! Thank you for being a great supporter of teachers!
I can be found @Teachr4
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I am grateful that my school’s mitigation plan is working and teachers have been able to receive the COVID vaccine.
I feel closer to my students than ever before. Over the course of this year, we have *virtually* invited each other in our homes and communicated in lots of new ways. I am so grateful for my students and their families for be willing to learn with me. My students and I are truly in this together. We open up about our fears and hopes throughout this pandemic.
This whole experience has made me a better teacher, that’s for sure.
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I can be contacted @MsKaufmansClass
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I love my job as a school librarian! There have been so many challenges this year but getting books in kids’ hands and talking about reading has been even more vital this year. Students have been so eager to connect with stories and I’m happy to bridge that gap!
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Twitter handle @thesharklibrary
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Wow, I have never seen such a generous giveaway! This year has been so challenging in terms of building a classroom community with kids hybrid in person and remote. I miss the days when students could get a pillow and spread out reading around the room. I’m working on building a reading culture but everything seems so sterile and separated this year. Thanks for so many generous authors!
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I’ve been in the classroom for seventeen years, and this is one of the hardest years I’ve had. My district has been virtual since the start of the year, so I haven’t seen my students ever. It’s been emotionally gut-wrenching to try and build a classroom community without ever seeing their faces, and out approved live lesson program is not like Zoom; you can’t really see anyone else’s face, so I’ve been in my dining room talking to myself or sitting in silence (when students have their independent work time) for months.
At this point, I’ve adapted, and I keep working on ways to make my instruction engaging and help students feel safe. I’m better and don’t always feel like I’m barely keeping my head above water, but I’m not confident about my ability to be a successful teacher. The situation doesn’t feel like endless curveballs anymore, but I’d be thrilled for any sense of normal schooling. Even if we needed to be masked and couldn’t do collaborative things, I want my classroom and my students and that sense of community again.
And as tough as this year has been on me and my students, it breaks my heart to see how it’s impacted my own school-aged son. He hated school before, and this year has seen him disconnect even more. The things he liked most about school – seeing his friends, playing at recess, trips to the library – are gone. Sitting for hours in front of a computer screen doesn’t feel like real school to him. A few weeks ago, he said he never finished first grade because they’d gone all virtual last spring, and he doesn’t really believe he’s in second grade.
@MBalduf
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Not being able to get to know my students personally has been the toughest part of distance learning. I love to stand at my class door and connect with each student, or kneel at a desk and ask how I can help a student. I also love recommending books to students and not being able to work with a student to find the perfect book has been tough. I have plans to create one of the best classroom libraries on campus when we return to campus next school year. These books would be a great addition to the bookshelves I’m dreaming of.
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Wow! Thank you for your kind words and recognition! It has certainly been a year to remember. Besides the complete reworking of how our school functions to accommodate the new protocols to make it safe for us to teach in person, the province has had to deal with a mass shooting. Something that “doesn’t happen here” in Nova Scotia, Canada.
The students, our teachers, administrators and community in general have been been such troopers, rallying around each other and showing true grit.
The books look amazing and many have strength and grit as themes…it would be amazing to place them in the hands of our students!❤️
@kristiestewart6
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I love your books. I am a middle school reading specialist and coordinator of our reading Olympics program. I have used one of your novels for our Olympics reading list and am planning to add more in the future. Thanks for your support. You are an amazing authors.
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It’s been such an odd, rough year for us teachers, librarians, and our students. As I a librarian, it’s so hard to see my colleagues and students struggle and try to make the best of it. In the library, it’s so sad. So quiet. No book fairs or library sponsored events, limited clubs, no browsing or just hanging out. No Thirsty Thursday’s (our monthly free coffee morning). It’s like dementors have sucked all the fun and joy out of our building. We are hanging on and hoping for back to normal soon!
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@Librarystar
williamstamie@neoshosd.org
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What a beautiful and diverse collection of books! Thanks for spreading the joy! Teaching life on Zoom is a constant challenge, but, just like f2f teaching, my favorite part of the day is our read aloud. I miss seeing their reactions since most of my kiddos keep their cameras off but I love their responses in the chat!
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As I look at this incredible collection of books, all I can think about is the lucky kids these books will be going to. I’ve come to accept that my group will be remote this whole year. We are currently on week 28. The hours are long and the planning is hard! I do miss my classroom library but I’ve realized school is just a place. It’s the people in the place that make it a community. Getting books to my kids has been my number one priority. We are thankful for the books that have helped us bond as readers and given us something positive to hold onto.
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What an amazing giveaway and tribute to teachers!! I am a school librarian and I see how hard classroom teachers are working throughout all of this. Our teachers are teaching synchronously, so they have students on Zoom and students in the room all at once. Most of them have about 2/3 in the room and 1/3 on Zoom, but others are closer to half and half. I don’t get the opportunity to Zoom much in my position, but when I do, I love seeing the kiddos! I can’t wait until they all come back to the classroom and the library!!
@SaraJo17
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OMG! this is such an amazing opportunity!!!! So many good books! I’m glad so many teachers and librarians have seen this opportunity. Zoom (google meets) has definitely been quite the struggle. School has some new staff, and some students they have no clue what they look like! Positive side is that communication with families has been better. @zbaalbaki
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This is such an amazing giveaway! I’ve been teaching 3rd and 4th grade both online and in person all year, with my students being able to switch back and forth at almost any moment. It’s been challenging trying to teach both online and in person, but it’s been rewarding too. It’s amazing to see how resilient these kids are, how they remain so positive and funny throughout these unprecedented times, and also how they keep uplifting each other, even with their differences. I’ve learned that if nothing else happens this year, I want my students to leave my classroom feeling safe, comfortable, uplifted, and loved. And that’s what truly matters.
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This is an amazing giveaway. Thank you for caring. We have been face to face all school year but the restrictions add so much difficulty. It’s required a return to the very basics- and reminding myself daily to stay focused on the children.
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Thank you so much for thinking of teachers! What an amazing collection of books! I’m teaching remotely for the entire year and it has been a huge learning curve. I also struggle with the isolation of it; most don’t think about that part. @tsmithhisler05
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Proud of the fact that I was able to get independent reading choices into the hands of my students the first month of school using a physically distanced bookshop. After teaching about book covers and how to read them (and identifying genre). They showed me what books they wanted a closer look at and that’s where I worked the room so they could see size of font, read the first page, inside the flap, chapter headings, and a host of other ways we choose books. These books were paid for by me since our library was not up and running yet. Thank you for recognizing the need for all students to see themselves reflected in the texts they read and for making this happen!
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Such a generous giveaway! It is magical to imagine our students reading these amazing titles. We have had in person option since Labor Day and currently about 30% of our students remain in remote learning. About 16% of our staff have tested positive in the time. Feel like I’m just waiting for my turn…and have been on vaccine waiting list for over 5 weeks.
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This is INCREDIBLY generous of all the authors to come together and support teachers.
I changed jobs and buildings and grade levels this year. Went from a 7th grade English teacher to a pre-K – 5 Librarian while starting and finishing my certification in 2020.
Crazy year for sure but the positive is that I’ve seen how supportive we can be of each other and how creative we can be as well. Virtual teaching was hard; concurrent teaching is challenging. But, I took away a lot of new tech skills last year and I’m good at problem solving and being flexible. I think we have to start 2021 by focusing on what we learned and how we grew last year. 🙂
@LindaHume10
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Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity. My grade 6 students are my ‘why’. They are why I put my all into teaching every day, no matter the circumstances. Every one of them deserves the best learning experience I can give them.
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Wow! This is so amazing – thank you!
After teaching remotely all spring, I’ve been in-person since September. It’s been pretty solid. It’s exhausting, don’t get me wrong, but it’s amazing to see the kids in-person and see them interacting with their peers.
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I miss my library. I miss my kids. We are currently remote learning, but will return to hybrid on March 1. My library has no budget, so this amazing giveaway is an opportunity to bring in some new books for my students. Thank you. 💙🦁❤️📚 @MLK_Library
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Fifteen years of teaching, and I’ve never been tested the way I have this year. The lack of connection with students has been the hardest, along with the terrible criticism from the world at large on our profession. Having a bright spot—and to me, the brightest of them lay in a good book—would help turn this year around for me and my students. Thank you for the chance to share some sunshine in this dark year.
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My heart is singing right now, to know that you have our back in one of the hardest years ever. It’s been difficult for me because I am not in my beloved librarian position this year — I was involuntarily moved to a fourth grade classroom for this school year and for the foreseeable future. While I love the kids (I knew most from being their librarian for four years), my heart has been sad and has felt incomplete all year. Like I have a ghost limb(job?) that keeps itching but cannot be scratched to my satisfaction. But, I am definitely rocking the ELA part of my job. :o)
So again, my heart is singing tonight. Your generosity and your obvious excitement is contagious and I wish everyone all the best with this giveaway. What a day it will be for the winner!!
💕⚡️💕⚡️💕
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Ha! First comment on the 15th, although I still have almost four hours left of the 14th here. 😎
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Just realized I didn’t leave my Twitter handle in the comment! Oops! It’s @juliereads … and thanks again for this chance to win!
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I used to have an great classroom library with an ambiance that got even the most reluctant readers keen on reading just so they could spend time in the library. But now we have restrictions on the types of furniture that could be in a classroom (good-bye comfy couches, beanbag chairs, pillows), and students also can’t choose where they read (social distance). One of the few things I could still give them is to continue to recommend great books to them, and winning 125 new books would help that out a lot, especially when I’ve only heard of 2 of the books on this list. Thank you for giving us this opportunity!
@MsSandraWen
(May be double-posted because I wasn’t sure if my first post made it and I wasn’t going to take any chances!)
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This is exciting! I am a reading teacher and librarian who is always looking for ways to get kids to love reading. It has been a tough year, but much to be thankful for. We are currently face-to-face. Distance learning was stressful. It would be so exciting to win these, but I know whoever does, will be well-deserved. Thanks again for all you do!
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This is an amazing giveaway. Thanks for appreciating teachers! @mtpete6
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Thankful to have so many authors recognize that teachers matter. This year it has been such a struggle to even feel like we matter, what with working in-person without any precautions. Masks aren’t even mandated. I’m paying $700 a month for counselling just to so i can show up as my best self for my students. I feel so angry because it does not feel like we matter. So thank you!! @sapphkat
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I have been more IT than librarian this past year. I’ve learned so much from this. But I have not stopped trying to connect with my students through books. Still doing virtual read alouds, book talks and more. Thank you for thinking of us during this time. I will be ever so grateful when we can meet authors and illustrators in person again. ❤ 📚
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What a gift! It’s heart-warming to know that the kidlit book world is so generous. It’s been a tough year for all of us, and it ain’t over yet. As I watch the covid death toll rise and CDC and others push to open schools, I feel forgotten, unseen, and unappreciated. Your giveaway restores some of my hope.
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This year I became our school’s 1/2 Media Specialist & 1/2 Literacy Coach. I was elated when I accepted the position. There isn’t a better place for a lover of reading and sharing that love with kids. However, every class has been virtual and it’s hard. The participation in specials is not deemed worthy of taking attendance let alone valued by all. I love for the day when I have students in the actual library with me amongst books that I know they will fall in love with. The pandemic has depleted our library and over 400 books were not returned. Our Scholastic book fairs that are now virtual used to bring in $2,000 for the library per fair only profited $120 for our school. I am very grateful for this opportunity and overall just appreciate the love.
Thank you, Shahenda
@elavannostrand
#NotoriousReader
Proud #BookPosse member ❤️
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Wow! This year has been incredible challenging! Teaching hyflex is HARD. I miss my students, I miss doing group projects, and literature circles! Thank you for putting this together! 💕 📚
@tbreedengrade6
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Reading this has been so validating – the past 11 months have been HARD. My students are the bright spots in my day, and it is exhausting to teach in person, masked, and try to maintain some sense of normalcy for them. I read “Fish in a Tree” to a group of grade 8 students in the Spring, while we were meeting virtually, and it was so wonderful to have a text that resonated with them.
@MadameGaudet
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Wow this would be an incredible gift to win. I switch career paths from Psychology to getting my Masters in teaching. I’m just finishing my last classes and I’m ready to join forces with other mind builders! I’ve been a paraprofessional in Special Education for several years while I get my masters. This gift would be the beginning of my library. Even if I don’t win, I’m printing this list because I need these books! Thank you for this amazing opportunity and I love the diversity of this collection.
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Sorry it’s @MrsTsakanikas I tried to edit and clicked comment. 😬
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@MrsTsakanikas I hope it works this time!
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This is amazing! Thank you to all of the authors and their generosity. It’s been a year of unpredictability and flexibility. I’m making it through.
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What a thoughtful giveaway and great collection of books! I’d love to refresh my classroom library. I sent books home with students last March, and many haven’t made their way back.
smorgan@wanee.org
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This is very exciting and incredibly generous! Thank you!
It’s been a tough year continually changing plans as we switch between in-person learning and virtual. As a librarian, I am currently traveling to all our elementary classes. We’re finally able to get small groups to checkout and kids are so excited.
Twitter – @MsJessWinter1
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Thank you so much for always being so incredibly supportive of teachers. I’m teaching remotely to both fourth and fifth graders and it is as exciting as always to feel like you are making a difference (even though it feels waaaayyyyy harder this way.) Our read alouds remain the most loved part of the day and that gives me peace and comfort at a time like this. Thank you again for the chance to find more books to love.
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Thank you so very very much for this glorious opportunity! Teaching is not an easy profession, but it is outweighed by its special moments and is definitely rewarding. We are all not going through an easy time, but we are going through it together and we will preserve. Thank you to the wonderful authors out there that are working so hard to interact with our students and to the publishers for allowing us to share with our students the power of literacy. Thank you to the amazing Linda Mullaly Hunt for writing some of my favorite books that are constantly circulating between students and teachers alike. Be well!
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Thank you for all that you do, Lynda Mullaly Hunt! I truly feel the teacher love. Teachers love authors, too!
My greatest victory throughout this crazy hybrid schedule is that my students’ adults have become very involved in helping them find their next favorite book!
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Wow! This is a truly amazing giveaway that some class/school will truly. benefit from! This is such an amazing list of books! It has been a challenging year for sure as we have been face to face since September and none of this is normal, but we’re all doing our best to teach and keep kids safe. Being the teacher librarian at my school, I can promise I’d get these into the hands of kids if I were to win! Thanks for doing this!
@MrsCHeidrich
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Wow! What a generous and thoughtful act! It’s been quite a year for all. Last spring I thought I couldn’t work any harder to help teachers, students and families survive going remote which we thought would be for only two weeks but ended up being through the end of the school year. I created a virtual library dog to teach SEL tidbits throughout those days and created and posted a Maggie Message every single day. Parents overwhelmingly stated how these messages were their lifeline and brought much needed smokes and sometimes giggles to their children. You can Google Maggie’s Messages: A virtual library dog to see the blog. I have to admit though, I crashed this summer. Revived and rejuvenated during the summer vacation and we returned to full time in/person school this Fall. Mostly safe with an occasional quarantine period. No longer teacher in my media center since that space was needed for classrooms. I teach k-2 in their classrooms and gr3-5 through Meets. This year has resulted in tweaking just about everything I’ve done in the past as a school librarian. But I have noticed their is a greater human to human connection than ever before. We have stripped away all the “things” and it’s now about us interacting with story and information.
@janemartellino
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This is so amazing! It’s been my pandemic mission to get books to kids. New books are such a treat for readers learning from home.
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With the support of authors and illustrators, we can make another generation of readers! Thank you.
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This is an awesome giveaway and opportunity! This has definitely been a year for the books. I am a first year librarian at a brand new school. Sadly, we were not given any funds to start up the library collection and I received donated books from other libraries in my county…you can imagine the quality, I’m sure. However, despite the challenges of no books and Covid, my students and I have found ways to discover new stories, learn, grow, and make connections. The opportunity to have access to SIGNED copies would be a dream. Thank your for hosting this giveaway, I know this will be a shining memory in this strange time for the winner.
@MichelleSchuldt
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We are returning in person on the 22nd. It’s been really challenging for me to teach over zoom. My goal is to reconnect and build a community by reading books at our morning meetings. Thank you for the awesome opportunity! @meidaspyper
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I appreciate this opportunity to win new books for my elementary school library. Bless you! It has been a struggle cultivating a love of reading with my students and providing books I know they will want to read. Budgets are tight or non-existent and over 1000 books from last school year are still checked out. Even though I have taught my students how to check out eBooks, they still crave the feel of a physical book in their hands.
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All of these books would be a such a blessing to have at Lindeneau Elementary School. The teachers and staff have been working so hard to ensure that students have a device in their hands and all the support they need during our remote learning. As chaotic as this school year has been, I know one day we will look back on this and be proud of all of the efforts we have made to get students actively learning. And as the school’s library assistant, I will continue to provide remote library book checkouts so that students will never go without a book. Thank you for having this giveaway.
@1ibrary1ady
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Wow! Thank you so much for the words and opportunity to add these amazing books to our libraries for our kiddos.
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Thank you for being a wonderful advocate for teachers and school librarians. My students love to read and miss being able to come to the physical library to read real books.
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Lynda, thank you so much for organizing this giveaway with your friends! What a wonderful way to show appreciation to teachers and librarians.
Yes, this school year has been difficult but I am grateful for the new ways I have been connecting with students as the school librarian. I’ve offered curbside pick up, virtual book clubs, ebook and physical book talks with a library book bag request form. Thank you again to all the authors participating.
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Thank you for this opportunity. I have been teaching my library classes remotely (one whole grade level for 30 minutes) since September. I miss the daily interaction with all of the students in the school. The library is so empty! I am doing my best to support teachers and students with resources, e-books, etc. Let’s hope better days are ahead! @Raff5K
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This is such an amazing thing you are doing! Thank you!! And thanks so much to everyone who contributed!!!
For me, when the pandemic started I was at a part-time elementary school librarian and our schools went remote. Like so many others, I took to Google Classroom to try to keep the kids engaged with stories and other literacy-based resources. I also partnered with a local nonprofit to help distribute hundreds of new books into the hands and homes of our students with pickup at our food distribution sites (a Title 1 district – my school alone had 99% eligibility for free lunch).
Then, when school restarted in the fall, the district began 100% remote… and I, along with many Paras and all library staff, were furloughed. When the district brought kids and staff back, the library staff continued to be furloughed.
However, a neighboring district was hiring for full-time library personnel. I applied and was hired there! Now, I am an elementary school librarian at two schools with drastically different makeups, and a district and a LMS that support my efforts to help kids learn to love reading and books! My schools operate on a on-week/off-week schedule, where half the kids attend each week, but at least I am able to put real, physical books into their hands that they enjoy! Also, I maintain two Bitmoji Virtual Libraries where I provide links to the local library, online resources, story videos (official ones), and fun activities.
It had been an adventure of a year so far, and things have changed for sure, but I’m still able to work with students in a way that is meaningful – for both them and me!
Twitter: @MrsKempthorne
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Thank you for this incredible giveaway and for truly seeing us. It is appreciated more than you know.
This past year has been a rollercoaster of emotions, changes upon changes, and pure mental and physical exhaustion. And yet there have been moments of joy, too. Having students who hang on after the zoom class had ended to just chat, hearing a student’s voice that I hadn’t heard in a year made my heart melt, sharing an optional first chapter Fridays over zoom and having a solid group of kids who show up every week and ask for one more book no matter how many books I share, and then coming back to in person learning and seeing their smiling eyes behind the masks…we are all doing the best we can in this moment and sharing a love of books has been a comfort we desperately need.
I hope when we are able to get back to some normalcy that I never take for granted the full face smiles, the high fives, the hand holding, and the hugs from these little humans who have gone above and beyond doing their part to help their world in this moment of need.
Thank you Lynda and all the creators. We are grateful!
Julie Kirchner
@kirchnerjulie
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I would absolutely love to win this! My students are in 2nd-5th grades, and they have various reading level, so it would be super helpful to win all of these books!!!
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Wow! This is amazing! School this year has been a challenge! We have been in person with distancing and masks for most of the school year. I feel so blessed, but I have also had to revamp everything I do to make it safe!
Twitter: @amandapost1513
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Thank you for your ode to teachers! This has been, and continues to be a tricky year.
Literature, like always, plays a huge role in my grade 3 classroom. A highlight for me has been introducing Lenore Look’s Alvin Ho series to my class. Representation matters! My students borrowed the books from the public library and I had one mom email me letting me know how much her son loved a Alvin Ho.
@bibliosmartgirl
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Wow! This would be such a fantastic prize to win. I’m a District Librarian in Streetsboro, Ohio and I would love to be able to add these books to our collection. There are so many wonderful titles included. This last year has been difficult, but I feel fortunate to be able to do what I love and help bring great books to students. Thank you for being a champion of libraries! Twitter @thomsonlori
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Thank you so much for even to be given this opportunity. This list of books is grand and the winner is going to so ecstatic. I’m just excited thinking about a teacher bringing them into his or her classroom. This year is like no other. I think the tribulations for me being that we’ve been in the classroom and teaching virtually is that I don’t feel 100% about either! When I’m teaching in person, I’m thinking about the students online. Are they really reading independently? Are these their words in the essay? Why are there different fonts? Are they worried, sick, scared, or just being a little lazy? When I’m online, I’m thinking about my in class students. Every day there are empty chairs. Are they quarantined because they are sick or have been exposed? Will they do the work online? It’s never ending and then I see a chance to win books and it brightens my day knowing people care about us. So, thank you for caring.
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Thank you for your appreciation and support! I am a library media specialist in Louisville, Kentucky who has been working 100% virtually since March, 2020. I have done my best to continue to share books with my students as well as a love of reading. While we haven’t been able to see all of our students in our daily classes, the ones that regularly attend our meetings are happy, excited to see us, and very eager to share and participate. I have to admit, while I know things are exactly as they have been in the past, I get up everyday ready and excited to interact with my kids in our current “normal.” In a weird way, I feel like being virtual has allowed me to connect with my students in a new and fun way. I’ve been able to see into their homes and they into mine. During many of our lessons, we’ve been taken on “field trips” around our students’ houses and the pride on their faces while showing us their prized possessions is priceless. So, regardless of what is being said online or around dinner tables, trust me, teachers are working and working HARD for our kids. I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was a little kid, and I will teach anyone anytime, whether online, in person, at the grocery store, or on a plane! Teachers teach!! Thanks again for the support and encouragement–it matters to us!
@cindy_hundley
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Thank you so much for this giveaway! It has been a challenging year of teaching hybrid and remote students on my caseload, but I have also been able to build better relationships with parents as we work together to support their kids. I still love getting to see my students each day whether they are on the screen or in front of me. I have also been able to build relationships with other teachers across the district virtually which has been one of the highlights of the year.
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Thank you so much for this extremely generous giveaway. I have not been teaching from my school building since March 12, 2020. I am scheduled to return to the building on March 16, 2021, almost an exact year later. It has been exhausting. My students are what help me get through each day. Some questioned the relationships we’d be able to form online but I feel closer to them more than ever. We’re surviving this pandemic together. Books have brought us together. It’s one way to feel connected. Thank you for the chance to add more books to my classroom.
@MsAbuRishBTES
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Thank you for providing this wonderful opportunity for all of us. I am the district media specialist and live in Bay County Florida. In 2018, Hurricane Michael (Category 5) devastated our area. Several schools closed, some permanently, due to the damage. This year we have been providing education face-to-face since August 20, 2020 and our libraries have provided a consistent beacon of hope for our students. I cannot think of a better way to show students how we care than to provide them with books they will love.
Lisa Gibson
@gibsolo1
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Thank you for doing this once again. I’ll take all the teacher love I can get. It would be great to receive all these books, but just knowing that you do this for us means everything.
Allison Jackson
@azajacks
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Thank you so much for this giveaway!
Your books have been such a light in my classroom for years and this year is no different. Fish in a Tree is always our first read aloud and we set up our classroom community based on their classroom. This year more than ever these kiddos need that sense of support and love from their teachers. Your books help them feel that connection!
From mystery boxes, to student signals, to understanding equity vs equality in what each students need… you help make school safe and happy for students through your books.
@MsHudginsCES
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This has been a tough year in many ways, but one of the hardest is knowing that my classroom library books are dusty without readers. It’s hard to grow readers through a computer screen and I look forward to normalcy next year! Twitter @kharvey1450
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Wow! Awesome giveaway! Thank you!
I’ve been taking a cart of books to classes and have been pleasantly surprised by how much fun it is to have “one-on-one” time with kids! I have gotten to share books they might not normally have looked at, and gave learned a lot more about them and their reading life! Something good in this tough, tough year! @HCMSreads
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I’m a middle school librarian. My teachers and I are not only going through the pandemic, but out school is being renovated. Through this year, we’ve worked (zoomed) with no heat for two weeks (it was 55 degrees inside), no hot water for a month, put up with so much construction noise. Tomorrow we see students in person for the first time in 11 months. We are still in construction. Half the teachers are in portables, but we have heat, we have hot water, we will be socially distant, and we get to see students in person.
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Thank you for doing such a generous giveaway. Books like yours help us make connections to our students. It’s so nice to be appreciated.
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The year has been difficult for teachers of course, but even more so for our students. I have a caseload of more than 100 striving middle school readers whose emotional well-being must be considered first. Stories like these improve reading skills while building a social- emotional safety net. I will always be passionate about #bookssavelives and #storiessavelives. Thank you for this group of incredible authors who make this their lives’ work in partnership with us!
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Find me @HuddleTeach
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Thank you so much for your love and generosity for teachers❤️🙏🏻📚 This has been a challenging year with CoVid. It is always a joy to give a student a new book to read. Books are always lost, we spend a lot of time replacing, but hopefully we never lose a reader (Donalyn Miller).
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This is so amazing. I would love to to add all of these to my classroom library. I have been teaching with most of my class virtual and a handful in the classroom. It has been a struggle to get some to complete work at home if they think it is not an important subject. Overall most of my students are loving the fact that they don’t have to get up and leave for school. I find it difficult to create the things we would do in the classroom for the virtual world as my school has never been big on tech. I can’t wait to get to what ever our new normal will be. @techieclassical
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With all of the negativity in the world, I have decided to look for the positivity. I am happy to say it is everywhere, as evidenced by the generosity of the wonderful authors involved in this giveaway!
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The help I receive now as I complete my 12th year of teaching means more than ever. The pandemic has impacted our children, their families and even our own families in ways we never thought. Our students look to us for stability, smiles and cheer more than ever. Thank you for lifting the spirits of teachers up during this challenging time. #AuthorsLoveTeachers. @iTeachUnicorns
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I’ve been in person the entire year. At the beginning I had one class that was all virtual which turned to a hybrid and now I have all in person classes. This year I haven’t felt like I’m teaching but just barely making it. I feel more uncertain now as I did during my year and I’m a “veteran”. Nevertheless, I stay and keep trying for the kids. This is new and stressful for all of us. The one thing I can provide for an escape, even if temporary, is a good book. I’ve always included reading time but this year I’m more adamant that the students read something they love. I know the ability to immerse myself into something other than this pandemic has been a release for me. Even if I don’t win this contest I think it’s a great thing to help brighten teachers and students’ days.
@teachmsholt
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Books have kept me connected with my students during this pandemic. Author’s words+Children’s words+teacher’s words = connections 💗
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#TeachersLoveAuthorsToo
Not a single year in my teaching career has looked anything like the other, but what remains the same is a growing love of literature. Thank you for putting together so many opportunities for teachers & librarians to get more books in the hands of kids!
@read_with_mrs_o
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My name is Kaitlyn, and I have been teaching in person all school year! I teach 6-8 reading and 6th ELA. There have been some major ups and downs, but I think the kids are glad to be back with some normalcy. While they are dealing with more outside of school than ever before, they come to school each day to learn. I have found more students have developed a love for reading through this time. They seem excited when I hand them a classroom book or literature circle option. I feel so fortunate to be able to see them each and every day!
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What an amazing giveaway! I have been teaching in person all year. We were not allowed volunteers this year so keeping up is a struggle sometimes. I am grateful that we have been able to check out books to students and love seeing their excitement when they find one they love. My Twitter handle is @macktracker
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This is so exciting! First of all, thank you so much for organizing this. Whoever wins will win in so many ways. Getting books in the hands of kids has been one of the biggest struggles this year. Although my 5th grade team and I are making it happen, doing book studies, literature circles, and shared read aloud a this year is just not the same when students don’t have the books in their hands.
Our district has become to slowly bring kids back for f2f instruction. What a welcome back gift this would be for our students!
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Wow! What an amazing collection! I would love to be able to share these with the teachers and students at the two schools where I serve as the media specialist. It’s been challenging to get books in kids’ hands this year in hybrid learning with our media center closed to students, but we’ve been creative. This collection would make it easier. My Twitter handle is @klsriley.
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What an awesome giveaway! I am a 4th grade reading teacher and last semester library grad student. This year has been hard. We’ve been face to face since August and keeping students engaged while six feet apart and masked has been hard.
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I want to thank you and all of the authors involved from the bottom of my heart. As a first-year teacher, this year has been incredibly difficult. I can’t tell you how far feeling seen and appreciated really goes in times like this! In the process, I have been striving to create a classroom library that contains a diverse set of books for my second graders. This year has been so difficult not just for the teachers, but especially the students. Books have a unique power to stimulate difficult conversations and support the students in finding the good and coping in trying times like these. Thank you so much for continuing to uplift teachers and students!
Twitter: Julia_Hurton
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What an awesome list of books! Thank you for thinking of us during this crazy time. This is my first year in 4th grade and my first year at this school and this collection would help my classroom library tremendously.
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This is awesome! Authors are so generous.
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This is such a bright spot in my morning Twitter scroll. I’m an elementary school counselor and want to thank you for highlighting the efforts that teachers and school staff are making (this year especially). Children’s literature is so special and one of the best tools to help kids connect to, and express their own emotions. Thank you for creating, drawing, painting, writing, editing and publishing the magic that is children’s literature.
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Love this so much!!! Thanks for the opportunity and for ALL you do for teachers!!
Shari Sawyers
@sawyersshari
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This giveaway is amazing! I am in awe of the work that teachers do every day and feel blessed to work with them and students as a librarian! Thank you to all the authors for this wonderful opportunity!
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What an amazing giveaway! Our elementary school library lost so many books during the long and sudden shutdown last year. These books would bring smiles to many, many faces!
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What a great list of books and a wonderful opportunity! Thank you for recognizing the commitment of teachers and teacher-librarians who show up for students every day whether it is virtual, f2f and everything in between. #AuthorsLoveTeachers
Kerri (Canada)
@joyfullibrary
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What a great list of books and a wonderful opportunity! Thank you for recognizing the commitment of teachers and teacher-librarians who show up for students every day whether it is virtual, f2f and everything in between. #AuthorsLoveTeachers
Kerri (Canada)
@joyfullibrary
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It has been an interesting year as a librarian to say the least! Figuring out how to get books in students hands has been a challenge, but we are doing pretty well! And not to mention quarantine for books, zooming with library classes, working in different buildings… phew. Thanks for this opportunity!
@rikkir77
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