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April 7, 2025 by: Laura

17 Best Earth Day Picture Books

Best Earth Day Picture Books

Earth Day is the perfect time to inspire students with engaging Earth Day picture books. These stories celebrate our planet, explore environmental issues, and empower kids to make a difference — perfect for library lessons and read-alouds. This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. This means that if you click a link and make a purchase, I may get a small commission at

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March 19, 2025 by: Laura

14 Best Yoga Books for Kids

Best Yoga Books for Kids

We all know the elementary library can get a little lively — sometimes, a calming reset is just what everyone needs. These yoga books for kids offer a fun, gentle way to introduce mindfulness, movement, and self-control, helping students refocus while fostering a sense of calm and confidence. This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. This means that if you click a link

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March 7, 2025 by: Laura

15 Best St. Patrick’s Day Picture Books

Best St. Patrick's Day Picture Books

March brings lots of leprechaun mischief and shamrock fun, so you’ll want to have plenty of St. Patrick’s Day picture books on hand this month! This is the perfect time to introduce young readers to Irish folklore, holiday traditions, and fun-filled adventures featuring tricky leprechauns and lucky clovers. Whether you’re planning themed storytimes, March read-alouds, or book displays, a great selection of St. Patrick’s Day

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February 21, 2025 by: Laura

17 Best Valentine’s Day Picture Books

Best Valentine's Day Picture Books

Valentine’s Day is a great time to add books about love, kindness, and friendship to your library collection. If you’re looking for Valentine’s Day picture books that will engage your students, this list features 17 titles that are perfect for storytime or independent reading. These books offer a mix of humor, heart, and diverse perspectives, making them great additions to any elementary school library. This

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January 11, 2025 by: Laura

15 Best Winter Picture Books for Kids

15 Best Winter Picture Books

Winter is here, bringing frosty mornings, warm coats, and the perfect opportunity to share winter picture books with your students! Whether your students are bundling up for snowy adventures or dreaming of what snow might feel like for the very first time, winter-themed stories are perfect for your January library lessons. So, it’s time to stock up on some fun winter picture books that will

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October 25, 2024 by: Laura

15 Best Thanksgiving Picture Books

15 Best Thanksgiving Picture Books

Fall brings the start of holiday preparations, so you’ll want to have plenty of Thanksgiving picture books on hand this month! November can be the start of schedule changes due to holiday program rehearsals and special holiday events. And as elementary librarians, sometimes we’re the last to know about those last-minute adjustments! Make sure you’re ready for the unexpected with a stack of Thanksgiving picture

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February 21, 2024 by: Laura

6 Best Leprechaun Picture Books

6 Best Leprechaun Picture Books

Liven up your March read-alouds with these 6 leprechaun picture books recommended by the Trapped Librarian!

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February 8, 2024 by: Laura

Library Lesson Plans: Practical Tips for Elementary Librarians

Library Lesson Planning for Elementary Librarians

We all know that creating engaging and effective library lesson plans can feel like a never-ending challenge, but fear not! I’ve got some game-changing tips to help you transform your lesson planning routine! By following these tips, you’ll not only survive but thrive in your elementary library. Tip 1: Plan in Batches Let’s kick things off with a game-changer – planning in batches. Say goodbye

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January 16, 2024 by: Laura

Celebrate a Love of Reading: 5 Tips for We Love to Read Month!

Celebrate a Love of Reading: 5 Tips for We Love to Read Month

As we step into the fun month of February, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the magic of books and cultivate a love of reading in our elementary students. That’s why I like to celebrate We Love to Read Month in my elementary library. Here are some tips to make this month an engaging celebration of reading: 1. Create Fun Book Displays Get their attention

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May 10, 2023 by: Laura

3 Tips to Promote Summer Reading

Encourage Summer Reading

Does your library have a summer reading program? I know it can be hard to staff a summer library program – we often need to rely on volunteers (who are also busy in the summertime!). However, we know that encouraging reading in the summer can really help maintain reading skills and prevent the “summer slide.” Each May we start looking ahead to our summer break

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thetrappedlibrarian

📚 Elementary School Librarian
🌟 NBCT 2011
👩🏻‍🏫 Teacher Author
Blog: trappedlibrarian.org

⭐ GET YOUR FREE MONTH-BY-MONTH LIBRARY LESSONS GUI ⭐ GET YOUR FREE MONTH-BY-MONTH LIBRARY LESSONS GUIDE! ⭐

Get ready to feel organized and prepared for the month ahead. No more giving up your nights and weekends for lesson planning! This free resource will help you plan your lessons for the month, quarter, semester, or year!

✅ Take the guesswork out of what to teach and when
✅ Get idea for engaging interactive lessons
✅ Grab links to helpful products for every month of the school year

⭐ Grab this free guide today and make your library the center of your school! ⭐
➡ Link in Smart.Bio @thetrappedlibrarian 💜
https://the-trapped-librarian.myflodesk.com/3f88ae34-9844-4298-8238-66aa8a25836a

 #thetrappedlibrarian #elementarylibrary #elementarylibrarian #schoollibrarians #elementarylibrarylessons #schoollibrarian #schoollibrary #librarymediaspecialist #teacherlibrarian #librariansofinstagram
Need inspiration for your October lessons? 🍁 🔥 Fir Need inspiration for your October lessons? 🍁
🔥 Fire Safety Week activities
👻 Spooktacular Halloween Storytime
📚 Seasonal book displays kids can’t resist
I’ve pulled together ideas you can use right away to make October memorable in your library!
➡️ Click to see my favorite October library lessons! https://trappedlibrarian.org/2021/10/25/october-library-lessons-2/
🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚 A 🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚

A Book Tasting event is such a fun way to help students explore your shelves and discover books they might otherwise pass right by!

Set out a variety of books, add the menus, table signs, and a little restaurant flair, and let your students start “tasting.” It’s a great beginning-of-the-year activity for getting kids excited about reading AND helping them add some new titles to their reading lists. ❤️

This Book Tasting Kit includes lesson plans for K–5, editable menus, bookmarks for younger students, genre and category table signs, posters, and more.

📚 Help your students discover their next great read!

⭐️ BONUS: It’s also included in my September Library Bundle, where you can save over 20%!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Book-Tasting-Activities-2082366?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=TL%20Book%20Tasting%20FB
📚 September is flying by! If you’re looking at you 📚 September is flying by! If you’re looking at your library lesson plans and wondering how you’re going to fit everything in, I’ve got some help for you. 💜

The September Library Bundle brings together some of my preferred activities and resources for this time of year, so you don’t have to spend hours searching and planning.

You’ll have resources to help you:
⭐️ Teach and practice important library skills
⭐️ Introduce digital citizenship
⭐️ Get students excited about books with a Book Tasting
⭐️ Organize your library and get your Library Helpers started

Best of all, you’ll save over 30% compared to purchasing the resources separately!

➡️ Take a look at the preview and see how this bundle can make the rest of the month go smoothly!

>>>>> https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/September-Library-BUNDLE-7141462?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=TL%20September%20Bundle%20FB
📚 “Where can I find a book about…?” Helping stude 📚 “Where can I find a book about…?”

Helping students learn to answer that question for themselves is such an important library skill!

My Library Catalog Practice for K–5 gives you scaffolded lessons and activities to help students build their catalog skills year after year. They’ll practice searching by:

🔎 Subject
🔎 Series
🔎 Title
🔎 Author
🔎 Keyword

The goal? Give students the skills and confidence they need to independently search for the books and information they want! 💜

➡️ Take a look at the preview and see how you can build library catalog skills from Kindergarten th#teacherlibrarian 

>>>>> https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Library-Catalog-Practice-for-K-5-Library-Lessons-968419?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=TL%20Library%20Catalog%20K5%20FB

#SchoolLibrarian #LibrarySkills #LibraryLessons #ElementaryLibrary #SchoolLibrary #LibraryCatalog #TeacherLibrarian
📚 New to the school library this year? Welcome! 💜 📚 New to the school library this year? Welcome! 💜

Maybe you're a brand-new librarian. Maybe you're a teacher or paraeducator who has stepped into the library role and you're figuring things out as you go.

💜Here's something I want you to remember: You don't have to learn everything at once!

In our FREE Back-to-School Library Helpers Newsletter, I'm sharing 4 tips for new school librarians that I would share with you over a cup of coffee. ☕️

⭐️ You'll also find practical back-to-school ideas, book recommendations, freebies, National Days, and plenty of encouragement from Julie and me.

And if you've been a librarian for years, take a look too! You might agree with my advice, and you may even find a new idea or two inside. 😊

⬇️ Head to the blog to download your FREE copy! >>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/elementary-library-newsletter/
🩵 Need a few more ideas for your September lessons 🩵 Need a few more ideas for your September lessons? 

This month goes by so fast, but it's not too late! 

Check out these engaging activities and lessons that will set the stage for a year full of active learning for all students. 

⭐️ Get ideas for your September library lessons over on the blog >>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2021/09/22/september-library-lessons/
📚 Looking for a fun way to get your students excit 📚 Looking for a fun way to get your students excited about books at the beginning of the school year?

Try a Book Tasting Event! 🍽️📚

A Book Tasting gives students a chance to sample books they might normally pass right by, while adding a little fun and excitement to your library lessons.

I’ve hosted these events with my own students, and I’m sharing 5 of my favorite tips on the blog, from building excitement and setting the stage to organizing your books and giving students plenty of choice.

➡️ Head over to the blog for all 5 tips and start planning your own Book Tasting!

>>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2017/10/08/5-tips-for-a-fun-book-tasting/
One little way to spread some kindness and fun wit One little way to spread some kindness and fun with your staff…all year long! 💜

My Staff Morale Booster Bundle gives you a different themed activity for every month from September through May, so you can have your staff appreciation ideas planned and ready to go for the entire school year.

Each activity is low-prep, budget-friendly, and includes everything you need to get started. Just print, add an optional treat or note, and start spreading some encouragement!

And when you grab the whole bundle, you’ll save over 25% compared to purchasing each month separately. ⭐️

➡️ Take a look at the preview and get ready for a year of kindness, connection, and a little extra fun with your colleagues!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Staff-Morale-Booster-Bundle-for-Staff-Teacher-Appreciation-Youve-Been-Booed-16669185?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=TL%20Staff%20Morale%20Booster%20Bundle
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