Tag Archives: Kidlit

Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom

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Hello parents and educators!

I wanted to share a project that is especially close to my heart. Many of you might know my picture book Words, which explores how the language we use impacts others. With my book The Sack, I wanted to turn that conversation inward to focus on something just as important: our internal self-talk and the quiet messages we carry every day.

As teachers, we see firsthand how heavily self-doubt, fear, and worry can weigh on our students. In The Sack, the main character ‘e’ carries a literal sack that gets heavier with every negative thought. My hope in writing this was to give young learners a simple, visual way to understand mental load—and more importantly, to show them that they have the power to unpack those heavy feelings and reframe them into positive, empowering thoughts.

If you’re looking for ways to bring this SEL concept into your classroom, here are two simple To help bring these SEL concepts to life, I’ve put together a comprehensive Teacher Resource Guide. Here are just two examples of the classroom activities you’ll find inside:

  • “Unpack Your Sack” Circle Time: Students write a worry or negative self-talk phrase on a slip of paper, place it in a physical sack, and practice reframing those statements into growth-mindset affirmations together.
  • Heavy vs. Soar Thoughts Anchor Chart: Draw a heavy sack on one side of a chart paper and balloons/wings on the other. Work as a class to sort everyday student statements (e.g., “I can’t do this” vs. “I’m still learning how to do this”).

To download a free Teacher/Parent Resource Guide to accompany The Sack visit HERE.

I hope this story and the accompanying resources serve as a gentle, helpful tool in your classrooms. I’d love to hear—how do you help your students navigate negative self-talk and building positive inner dialogue?

Lora

After All, Who Doesn’t Love Pie?

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Author’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.

Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Children – Picture Book book “Freshly Baked Pie” by Lora Rozler, available HERE

Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

“Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite

Meet five-year-old Emily in the storybook Freshly Baked Pie by Lora Rozler. Emily does not think being five is easy and it is all about bouncing pigtails and wearing colorful dresses. She is not too happy going to bed when the sun is still out, cleaning her room when she wants to play, and all the rules. Saturday is her favorite day because that is the day her Grandma Betsy comes. What is even more special is seeing the freshly baked pie sitting on the window sill. Emily is tempted watching the strawberry jam oozing, the buttery crust, and the aroma. She cannot wait, though her dad and mum have asked her to stay away from it and not touch it. Will Emily be able resist or will she give in to temptation?

The story is adorable and I like the way the author makes Emily’s temptation to taste the pie whimsical and delightful. The illustrations are as charming as the story, Emily, and the pie, and they breathe life into the story and the characters. Emily’s character is lovable, well portrayed, real, and tangible to young readers. I enjoyed the part where the pie speaks to Emily and that makes the book magical and gives it a mischievous twist. The manner in which Emily goes through those tempting emotions while looking at the freshly baked pie will bring a smile to the faces of all readers. It is a good story for bedtime storytelling and can be used for read aloud and storytelling sessions in classrooms.”

You can learn more about Lora Rozler and “Freshly Baked Pie” on our WEBSITE where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

Readers’ Favorite LLC
Media Relations
Louisville, KY 40202
800-RF-REVIEW
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https://readersfavorite.com

New Picture Book by Lora Rozler

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NEWLY RELEASED

Three hungry goats need to cross a bridge to get to a luscious field of green grass. But a greedy old troll stands in their way and threatens to devour anything that sets foot on its path. So how can the goats safely cross the bridge?

They must get clever, of course!

The Three Witty Goats Gruff preserves the fun and charm of the beloved original, Three Billy Goats Gruff, while adding a new spin to this cautionary tale. With plenty of repetition and exciting dialogue, young readers are sure to join in on the adventure. Perfect for shared reading at home or in the classroom.

Published by Words Publishing
Publication Date September 9, 2018
Available in all Major Retailers including:
Chapters-Indigo | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

The original tale of Three Billy Goats Gruff came to us from Norway where it was first published by Peter Christen Asbjornsen and Jorgen Engebretsen Moe in the early 1840’s. Prior to television and radio, oral storytelling was the most effective way to entertain people. Asbjornsen and Moe’s collection of folk tales brought many of these stories into a written form still shared today.

Three Billy Goats Gruff is a tale about three famished billy goats (male goats) who desperately want to get to a fresh field of grass that grows
on the other side of a bridge. In most incarnations of the story, the three goats are brothers – youngest to eldest. In others, they are youngster, father and grandfather (Gruff is used as their family name).

As the story goes, under the bridge lives a greedy troll that threatens to eat anything that dares cross it. The first and second billy goats manage to outwit the troll and cross the bridge by convincing him to wait for their bigger brother, a classic eat-me-when-I’m-fatter folk tale plotline. The eldest goat eventually knocks the wicked troll off the bridge with his mighty horns. The troll gets carried away by the stream and alas, the goats live happily ever after.

Since its initial publication, there have been many different versions of this folk tale. When people retell a story, they sometimes make changes to bring it up to date or make it their own. In my adaptation I incorporated a female goat (nanny). Although female goats have been used in previous editions of this tale, they have seldom, if ever, been featured as the heroine in the story. As well, I proposed an alternative way for the goats to solve their dilemma – instead of using force to subdue their bully, they use their wit to outmaneuver the greedy old troll.

From an educational perspective, my book strives to enrich young readers in the area of literacy (vocabulary-building) and mathematics (concepts of patterning, number sense and measurement), as well as encourages discussions about various themes, including overcoming obstacles, problem-solving, teamwork, unity, courage, greed and bullying.

I hope you enjoy reading The Three Witty Goats Gruff as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Feel free to share your comments and thoughts below.