📘 question: as a teacher/educator, what is your biggest takeaway or wondering about "reading" as 2025 comes to a close? (May or may not be having a conversation with 2 very cool folks tomorrow about this! 👀)

Day #29: 31 Days, 31 Lists - 2025 Nonfiction Books for Older Readers. Forget the picture books. Older nonfiction, that nebulous but ultimately satisfying genre, is where the action is. This list today just proves it. #31Days31Lists #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2025/12/29/3...

Yes, teaching can be hard. With 25 years in education, I reflect on the impact on have had on so many lives, an impact that will continue far into the future. I love being a teacher - I hope to inspire the next generation of educators.

The 'kin' of ‘napkin’ means "little." ‘Nap’ comes from ‘nape,' which means “tablecloth.” So a napkin is a little tablecloth. 10/10, no notes.

Meeting my guests from the world of #kidlit is my favorite part of my weekly Gab ‘n’ Doodles. Watch live on Insta or later there or YouTube. Thank you to all my wonderful guests! See comments for a list of guests and BlueSky handles ⬇️ #kidlitart #illustration #artistsofbluesky #art #liveart

When people ask about navigating social media spaces as a teacher and how to make it a positive experience (really difficult to do right now!) these are the six things I tend to share:

On behalf of all educators, next week - please move at a glacial speed.

This free online space is offering LGBTQIA+ affirming connection on Christmas Day

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In light of current news, I'm bringing this offer back. I probably can't ship anything off now until after the holiday season, but if you reach out, I'll get it to you as quick as possible in the New Year. #KidLit

My favorite school day is World Read Aloud Day in Feb. My students and I get to chat with famous authors for 20 minutes for free! They even read us one of their stories! It’s spectacular! If you are an #author or educator, visit LitWorld.org to learn how to participate. 📚 #WRAD #kidlit 📖 #edusky

This will likely be my last collection using Edwardian stamp holders, lockets & charms. Pieces made using these small treasures will be in my etsy shop at 8.30 tonight 👇🏼. For enquires please click 💬on my page: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/silv...

Hooray! Hoping to see you in Frederick—Love Curious Iguana!

Jesse Hamm had the take to end all takes on children's media. "People who disdain writing ‘just for children’ fail to realize that those children will remember what they read, maybe for the rest of their lives. You’re not writing for permanent children; you’re getting an early start on adults.”

Totally sucks. You can go settings > apps > safari > [change tabs to “bottom” instead of compact] and it reverts to how it was

FINALLY GOT IT! I've taken well over 100,000 pelican pictures, maybe 200,000. Over 20,000 the past month alone. Today, I snagged "The One That Got Away" In my infinite optimism, I give you, a very rare: Fish success story. 🪶

the fact that i show up to work and hang out with middle schoolers and get them to know a little more than when they came in and I like them and I don't do drugs or drink everyday to cope is truly a miracle.

I hope you love it and share it with lots of kiddos!

Thank you @aimeelucido.bsky.social for your generosity!

Teachers benefit from peer feedback, but too often their busy schedules don’t allow for it. Here’s how one school created a successful drop-in observation culture to give teachers the space to learn from each other. 💫 #SchoolLeaders #Principals #EduSky

One more pelican post for the day. 🪶

I'll stop here, but my point is: this was a long and difficult week but all these things still happened and I never want to get to the point where the "long and difficult" keeps me from seeing them happen. end thread 🍎 (but...what good things happened in your classroom?)

some good things that happened this week in the classroom (just a reminder that these things do happen, amidst all other things that also do happen) a (somewhat?) brief thread 🍎🧵

Cat names should evolve like avant-garde jazz. By the time of a cat's fifth birthday the name by which it is generally known should have zero resemblance to its original name.

new beanies now available in the shop!! 🥳🪲💕 Check them out here! shop.fossilforager.art

Meet Clementine. Better known as Clem, Clemmy, Tiny, Clemmer, Clembo, Kitten Head, or Kitty Yum-Yums. And she’s not even two yet. Love pet nicknames!

‘Abbott Elementary’ star Quinta Brunson launches fund to provide free field trips to thousands of Philly students

My mental health declined pretty badly last wk but some of you asked for more photos like the hunt-the-tiny-owl one I made & I wanted to try to make an advent calendar so:some lovely things that fell off trees & this time a tiny deer stag to find. Do let me know if you enjoy this & I'll make more 🦌

Over 200 authors will be Zooming into classrooms & libraries for World Read Aloud Day on 2/4! Teachers/librarians - Want to be first to see the list so you can book a free visit? It'll go out in my email newsletter in early December! Sign up here: katemessner.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

Y’all! @mrschureads.bsky.social and I will be sharing OVER 100 BOOKS on Tuesday! This @bookelicious.bsky.social event is FREE but you must register in advance, so… GET ON IT!! Hope to see you there! #edusky #tlsky #booksky #librarians #skybrarians #kidlit #mglit www.bookelicious.com/event/22

Here’s a video the @carlemuseum.bsky.social and I made about the fadeaway technique I used in “A Big Mooncake for Little Star”! I hope you go see the exhibit before it closes at the end of the year!

Osiyo! That means hello in Cherokee! Join author @tracisorellauthor.bsky.social for a chat about her book WE ARE GRATEFUL: OTSALIHELIGA, which was inspired by the people & culture of the #CherokeeNation today: www.kidlit.tv/storymakers-... @charlesbridge.bsky.social #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

You can walk away. Before the shame follows you home. #StopICE

When you’re thinking that making a $10-$15 donation to #LittleWheelsBigHearts won’t make a huge difference… Each one of these amazing sets was $15 marked down from $30 or more and will make some kid’s Christmas pretty special. Trust me, it’s worth it! venmo.com/u/Dale-Grant-3

Last thing I did before leaving school today was hide 230 mini bows throughout the media center. Had to do something to follow up the dinosaur hunts from Dino-vember! #SchoolLibrary #TLSky #EduSky

Oh, we are gonna have us a fine #kidlitchat at 9PM Eastern/6PM Pacific today here on Bluesky. I mean, we do every week so it's not a bold statement but simply what happens when we #kidlit folk gather and chat. Don't believe me? Come join us and see! (There might even be pie. Just sayin'.)

Teaching in 2020-2021 was so wild. Looking back, I have no idea how we did what we did. It doesn’t seem real.

Step 1: Sign up for a FREE library card at your local library today. Step 2: Enter a world of possibilities. Step 3: Share some of the library joy that is sure to come.

I take on average 10,000 stills and a half hour of video every week. Most I'll never think about again. This I'll hold onto until I grow old. 4 hours ago. Zero edits. No recoloring. No cropping. Nothing. Just straight up reality. 🦑

I’m pretty wiped out tonight and I’m gonna head to bed If yinz can figure out the other $425 we need to hit our $500 #LittleWheelsBigHearts weekend goal by the time I wake up, I’d really appreciate it. Then we can all take the rest of the weekend off. venmo.com/u/Dale-Grant-3

I have so many copies of my books sitting around and I would love to give them away for the holidays. Kids, teachers, librarians, bookfluencers... who wants 'em?

Oh wow I’m 254 followers away from 100,000! When I get there I’ll do something to celebrate. Perhaps a raffle to join me on a future shark research expedition!

I'm taking🌲etsy orders for just a few more days: 🌿Real flowers cast in silver+ tiny hand-sculpted silver wren necklaces 💐Victorian ink bottle kits to improve mental health 🗓️A very few calendars* 🪸Ltd ed'n art prints of my photos* *Looking at them's likely to ⬇️⬇️ anxiety: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/silv...

Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work. Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/

It's a great cosmic joke that neurodivergence both runs in families and gets diagnosed based on parent reports. I was diagnosed at 30 because a man who has eaten potatoes every day for 57 years and a woman who collects loose buttons decided I was a perfectly normal child.

Teacher life: there is no sense of satisfaction quite like fifteen minutes after the bell on Friday when the kids are mostly gone and the school is mostly quiet. You're tired, but you made it, you made it

So excited for a visit from @peterbrownstudio.com at school yesterday!