Author Archives: Ms. Schmidt

“When you fight for justice, others will follow.” –Separate is Never Equal, Duncan Tonatiuh Can I TOUCH Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship, written in 2018 by Irene Latham and Charles Waters and illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko, follows fifth-grade versions of Irene, who is White, and Charles, who is Black,Continue reading “Courage and Understanding”

“Just because you don’t see the path doesn’t mean it’s not there.” –The Parker Inheritance, Varian Johnson Holy cow, this book! Written in 2017 by Varian Johnson, The Parker Inheritance is the mystery novel every aspiring detective needs. When Candice Miller moves to Lambert, South Carolina for the summer, all she expects is a boringContinue reading “Find the Path. Solve the Puzzle.”

“This piece of earth was a world apart. Congo Square was freedom’s heart.” -Freedom in Congo Square, Carole Boston Weatherford & R. Gregory Christie Freedom over me: Eleven slaves, their lives and dreams brought to life (2016), written and illustrated by three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan, brings eleven real slaves from theContinue reading “Finding Freedom”

We are dreamers, soñadores of the world.” –Dreamers, Yuyi Morales Dreamers (2018), written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is based on a true story from the author’s own life. Written in short but elegant prose, Dreamers details the story of a Mexican woman who, after having a child, packs keepsakes from home into a backpackContinue reading “Soñadores y Aventureros”

“Sometimes when you’re surrounded by dirt, CJ, you’re a better witness for what’s beautiful.” –Last Stop on Market Street, Matt de la Peña Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship is based on the true story of how Jessica met her service dog, Rescue, after she lost both her legs in the aftermath of the 2013Continue reading “Witness for the Beautiful”

“‘I wish,’ she whispered, ‘for someone to love with all my heart.’ That was my first wish. And the beginning of many more.” – Wishtree, Katherine Applegate My Two Blankets, a 2014 picture book by Irena Kobald and Freya Blackwood, is about a young girl nicknamed Cartwheel by her auntie. Kobald draws on her experiencesContinue reading “Welcoming Immigrants as Friends”

Guidelines for Evaluating Children’s Literature: Questions to Consider How did the author make the book believable? In other words, how true is the emotional reality of the story… Discuss one of the main characters. How did the author make this character unique and believable? What issues does this character grapple with? How does the characterContinue reading “Evaluating Children’s Literature”

“‘You have also taught me to be wild,’ said the robot. ‘So let us all celebrate life and wildness, together!’” — The Wild Robot, Peter Brown The Girl and the Wolf, a short story written by Katherena Vermette and illustrated by Julie Flett, seems to take a twist on the classically known story of LittleContinue reading “Developing Agency”

Hi there! My name is Grace Katharine Schmidt. I am an alumna of Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, where I received both my M.A. in Reading Education through the Accelerated Admissions (4+1) program in May 2020 and my B.S. in Elementary Education in May 2019. Additionally, I have my N.C. Professional Educator’s Initial LicenseContinue reading “Hello!”