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You are here: Home / Archives for Books for Kids

Books for Kids

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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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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June 17, 2022 by: Laura

5 Benefits of Early Reader Series Books

5 Benefits of Early Reader Series Books

Do you purchase early reader series books for your elementary library? I am a fan of having all kinds of kids book series available for readers. Series books for beginning readers can motivate and excite these young students as they develop a love for reading and build important reading skills. There are many benefits of having easy reader series books in your school library. Students

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thetrappedlibrarian

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

📚 Don't miss the Back-to-School issue of the Libra 📚 Don't miss the Back-to-School issue of the Library Helpers Newsletter!

Some of you are heading back to school THIS WEEK (how is that possible?!), while others still have a few precious weeks of summer left. 💜

No matter where you are in the countdown, Julie and I put together this special Back-to-School issue with YOU in mind!

Inside you’ll find:
✨ Practical ideas for starting the year
📚 Book recommendations and read-aloud ideas
🎁 FREE resources
💡 Tips for new and experienced librarians
🗓️ 10 National Days with ideas you can use in your library
💜 Lots of encouragement from two retired librarians who remember just how busy this time of year can be!

We hope you’ll grab a cup of coffee (or your favorite cold drink!), download your FREE copy, and find a few ideas that make your back-to-school season a little easier.

⬇️ Head to the blog to get your copy! >>>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/elementary-library-newsletter/
Have you downloaded the free Library Lesson Guide? Have you downloaded the free Library Lesson Guide?

Get ready to feel organized and prepared for each month of the school year. 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! ⭐
https://the-trapped-librarian.myflodesk.com/3f88ae34-9844-4298-8238-66aa8a25836a
💜 Back to school is a great time to start building 💜 Back to school is a great time to start building positive connections with your colleagues!

A little encouragement, a fun surprise, or a simple act of appreciation can go a long way toward helping staff feel connected and valued. And it’s even better when you have those ideas ready to go before the busy school year gets rolling!

✅ My Staff Morale Booster Bundle includes 9 low-prep activities, one for each month from September through May. Each one includes signs, poems, instructions, and inexpensive treat ideas to make it easy to spread a little kindness and fun throughout your school.

⭐️ Start with You’ve Been Schooled! in September, then you’ll be ready with a new theme every month for the rest of the school year.

And you’ll save over 25% by purchasing the bundle instead of the individual resources!

➡️ Take a look at the preview and get your whole year of staff appreciation ready to go! >>>>> 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

#SchoolLibrarian #ElementaryLibrarian #SchoolLibrary #TeacherLibrarian #StaffMorale #StaffAppreciation #TeacherAppreciation #SchoolCulture #BackToSchool #TeachersOfInstagram
📚 September is here! If you’re looking at your lib 📚 September is here! 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. 💜

My 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 if this bundle can save you some time this September.

#SchoolLibrarian #ElementaryLibrary #SchoolLibrary #LibraryLessons #TeacherLibrarian #SeptemberActivities #thetrappedlibrarian
🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚 A 🍽️ What’s on the menu in your library? BOOKS! 📚

A Book Tasting 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
🩵 Hello library friends... Need help planning your 🩵 Hello library friends... Need help planning your lessons for September?

🎒The beginning of a new school year is always full of excitement! 

It’s important to start with 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/
💜 If you're just heading back to school, this one' 💜 If you're just heading back to school, this one's for you.

There will always be lessons to plan, books to process, displays to finish, and a hundred other things calling for your attention.

But here's the reminder Julie and I are sharing in our Back-to-School Library Helpers Newsletter:

🩵Focus on people first.

Get to know your students. Connect with your staff. Find your library people. And give yourself permission to grow slowly.

You don't have to have everything figured out on the first day. 💜

⭐️ Our FREE Back-to-School issue is full of ideas, resources, book recommendations, freebies, and encouragement to help you get started.

We hope it feels a little like having two librarian friends cheering you on!

⬇️ Download your free copy on the blog. >>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/elementary-library-newsletter/
Kindergarten is coming at 9:00. Fourth grade at 9: Kindergarten is coming at 9:00. Fourth grade at 9:30. Then second grade…and somehow you need a meaningful lesson ready for EVERYONE. 😅📚

Sound familiar?

One of the best things I learned as an elementary librarian was that I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel for every single grade level.

In this blog post, I’m sharing some of the strategies that helped me plan more efficiently, including grouping lessons into grade bands, building skills from year to year, planning ahead in batches, and keeping students actively involved.

➡️ If you’re working on your library lesson plans, I hope these 6 practical tips give you an idea or two that you can put to use right away! 💜

>>>>> https://trappedlibrarian.org/2024/02/08/library-lesson-plans/

#SchoolLibrarian #ElementaryLibrarian #LibraryLessonPlans #LibraryLessons #SchoolLibrary #ElementaryLibrary
📚 Getting your library organized for back to schoo 📚 Getting your library organized for back to school?

Over the years, I found a few simple systems that made a BIG difference in keeping my library lessons and supplies organized, especially when classes were coming in one right after another!

In this blog post, I’m sharing 4 of my favorite back-to-school organization tips, including:

💜 Color-coding by grade level
💜 Organizing supplies for small groups
💜 Keeping lesson plans organized from year to year
💜 An easy way to communicate Library Day information with families

Nothing complicated. Just practical ideas that helped me save time and stay organized throughout the school year!

➡️ Take a look and see if one of these ideas might work in your library!

https://trappedlibrarian.org/2021/08/27/get-organized-for-back-to-school-in-the-library/
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