Encouraging students to read is a daunting task when you have to compete with YouTube and video games. You know that if you could just get your kids excited about reading, they would discover a world of enchantment and a love that will last a lifetime. The Organized Teacher's Guide to Children's Literature will help you spark your students' passion for reading.

The books selected by award-winning author and reading expert Kimberly Persiani promise to engage your students with a variety of themes and appealing topics. From character-building titles to multicultural selections and books that celebrate holidays, you are sure to find a book that will fit your lesson plans--and, at the same time, capture your students' attention and imagination. Kimberly also shows you how her selections can be linked across your curriculum and satisfy Common Core Standards.

Among hundreds of valuable ideas, The Organized Teacher's Guide to Children's Literature provides:

• Annotated lists of fiction and nonfiction picture and chapter books perfect for every level, from preschool to teen
• Lexile levels and grade levels for every book recommendation
• Academic curriculum tie-ins that meet the Common Core Standards and complement lesson plans in math, science, social studies, and other areas
• Strategies to increase reading comprehension, vocabulary development, theme interpretation, and more
• Suggested projects to enhance student understanding of a book, such as reports and group discussions
• Advice on how to set up and organize a library for efficiency and enjoyment
• Lists of literary awards from the year 2000 to the current day, including Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King, Pura Belpre, and Scott O'Dell awards

Let The Organized Teacher's Guide to Children's Literature help you develop your students' wonder of reading. Your efforts will not only put them on a path to academic success but also will launch their journey of being lifelong readers.

Persiani, Kimberly

Kimberly Persiani, EdD, is an associate professor at California State University, Los Angeles in the area of Curriculum and Instruction. She presents at local and international conferences for bilingual education, children's literature, gender equity and moral and character education.
Steve Springer is a fulltime classroom teacher with a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University, with a special focus on the arts throughout the subject areas and the incorporation of technology into the curriculum. He also presents at bilingual conferences, new teacher conferences and regularly attends children's literature conferences. He has also illustrated six McGraw-Hill titles.

Springer, Steve

Steve Springer has taught and developed training programs for the Los Angeles Unified School District for over 15 years. He has been a mentor and master teacher throughout his career. He has used this experience along with his talents in fine arts to write and illustrate several books for teachers. The Organized Teacher and The Creative Teacher, published by McGraw-Hill, are two of these books that offer visual hands-on guides to organizing and creating a dynamic classroom.

Steve recently started a program called Reach and Teach. His vision was to share his teaching experience with other teachers. Over sixty teachers were in-serviced in South Africa. They left empowered to create a more exciting, interactive classroom. Each participant received a McGraw-Hill resource book and a set of supplies. The program was well received and he plans to continue his involvement.