Join PebbleGo on June 29th in San Antonio, TX For An Exclusive Community Event....Save Your Seat Today!

 

Friends, I have a very special event to share with all of you.  

Join us on June 29, 2025 for an exclusive in-person PebbleGo Community event in San Antonio, Texas. Whether you're headed to ISTE 2025 or not, all are invited and we'd love to see you there.

This in-person PebbleGo event brings together visionary educators and leaders who believe in the power of curiosity to spark real change-transforming students into confident readers and lifelong learners with PebbleGo at the heart of it all.

I am excited to join Leticia Citizen, Keri Reaney and Trey Kuefler as one of the speakers for the event.  I will be talking about leading change from the library through innovation, collaboration and empowerment.  

We would love for you to join us friends.  Save your seat today.

You've Been Book'd With Books To Celebrate and Learn About Juneteenth!

                

I have brought together 20 books to celebrate, Juneteenth, a holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

Just click on each book cover to find the book in Titlewave, and you can find the entire Juneteenth Titlewave list in the choice board too.

You can find the You've Been Book'd With Books To Celebrate and Learn About Juneteenth here.

Stop By Booth #1363 To Download The Socrait App For Your Class! Happiness Starts Here...Don't Miss It, Friends.

 

Are you heading to ISTELive25?  

I have a booth you don't want to miss!  This one will change how you do things in your classroom and I can't wait until you try it out. 

Stop by the Socrait booth #1363 to download the app for free and see how the Socrait mobile app saves teachers time with administrative tasks and brings joy to your day.  

See you there, friend! 

#HappinessStartsHere 

Find The Back-to-School Book Talk Webinar Recording, Slides and Amazing Titlewave List Here, Friends. It Was So Much Fun!

 

We kicked off the Follett Content Shannon's Summer Webinar Series this week on June 10th with the amazing Back-to-School Book Talk!  

In this choice board, you will find the webinar recording, webinar slides, and the Titlewave list of the 132 books Veronica, Amanda, Deb, and I shared during this book packed hour of fun! 

And don't forget to register for our entire Shannon's Summer Series at bit.ly/FollettShannonSummerSeries25 which includes two more webinars in July and August. 

Thank you for joining us this week, and we can't wait to see you again this summer, friends.

Take A Listen To Our New Mini-Season Podcast Series, STEM in the Stacks and Beyond!

 

Just launched...our new mini-season podcast, STEM in the Stacks and Beyond, with my amazing Jennifer Sancedio-Boatman and STEMfinity! 

This is such a fun and meaningful way to kick off the conversation around STEM as we get ready for ISTE in San Antonio at the end of the month. 

Episode 1 dives into innovative tools, real-world classroom strategies, and engaging STEM programs that empower educators and inspire students.  

Whether you're preparing for ISTE or simply passionate about the future of STEM education, this series is packed with insights, ideas and inspiration. 

Listen here today.  And tune in next week for a new episode. 

Don't Miss This Webinar... Thriving (Not Just Surviving) at Your Next EdTech Conference!

Book Creator is hosting a webinar on June 17th that you won't want to miss, friends.  

It's called Thriving (Not Just Surviving) at Your Next EdTech Conference. I can't wait for this one as we go into a busy summer of conferences. 

As shared in the invite, 

Whether you're attending your first EdTech conference or your fifteenth, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the sessions, vendors, and nonstop networking. This webinar is your guide to turning that chaos into clarity. We’ll cover practical strategies for planning your schedule, connecting with the right people, managing sensory overload, and yes—even what to pack in your bag (spoiler: bring snacks and power cords).

You’ll also get tips for building your confidence and finding your community during Book Creator’s ISTE Community Week, a hybrid celebration that connects educators both in person and virtually. Whether you're #ISTELive or #NotAtISTE, this session will help you make the most of every moment.

Time:
June 17, 2025 1pm (EST)

Register today. The recording will be sent to registrants, so even if you can’t make it, it’s still worth registering.

 

Stay In The Loop With All Things Book Creator With The Monthly Community Newsletter!

 

Friends, stay in the loop with all things Book Creator with the monthly community newsletter.  

You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for: 

New templates & teaching ideas Feature updates & how-tos Community events & inspiration Don’t miss out—join our creative educator community today!

I Am Heading To ISTE Live 2025 & This Is Where I Will Be, Friends.

 

I am so excited about ISTE Live 2025 coming up in San Antonio, Texas this month on June 29-July 2. 

This is an extra special year as my new early reader chapter book series, ISTE Digital Explorers, published with ISTE and Capstone, debuts at the conference. 

Today, I put together my schedule for the week here in this Book Creator book.  I have so many special presentations, booth visits, author events, librarian playground and more. 

I will be adding more pages to this book during the conference including my presentations, resources, and project ideas for you to bring back from ISTE Live 2025.

And guess what, friends?

We have the BEST ISTE Digital Explorers Scavenger Hunt planned throughout the conference.  

There are very special prizes with Book Creator, BreakoutEDU, Capstone, MergeEDU, Novel Effect, Kai's Education, and STEMfinity. I can't wait to share the details with all of you!  You won't want to miss out on this fun with amazing prizes from lots of edtech friends. 

I hope to see you at ISTE Live 2025 this summer.  It's going to be a wonderful event of learning, sharing, creating and fun together. 

Join Us On Tuesday For The Back-to-School Book Talk! You Won't Want To Miss This Hour Of Book Sharing Fun!

Friends, I am so excited to invite you to a special webinar on Tuesday, June 10th as we kick off Shannon's Summer Webinar Series. 

This first one is going to be a super fun book talk as we gear up for some back-to-school-time brainstorming with me and a few guests.  Amanda Hunt, Deb Zeman, Veronica Perez and myself will dive into the world of books with a fun and dynamic session designed for all grade levels, elementary, middle and young adult. 

Attendees will learn: 

• Elementary School: Discover delightful and captivating books that will spark the imagination of young readers as they head back to school.

• Middle School: Explore thrilling and adventurous reads that will keep middle schoolers hooked and excited for the new academic year.

• Young Adult: Uncover compelling and thought-provoking novels that resonate with young adults, perfect for starting the school year with a bang.

Visit the Follett Content site to register for this FREE webinar today.

And you can sign up for all 3 webinars in Shannon's Summer Webinar Series today. 

I can't wait to see you this summer as we stay connected, learn, and have so much fun talking libraries, books, programming, collaboration and more. 

You've Been Book'd With All Of The Crayon Books From Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers!

 

We love every book about a few of our favorite characters — the Crayons! 

Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers have brought so many special, meaningful, and fun crayon stories to us over the years. Their clever storytelling and creative illustrations have captured the hearts of readers young and old.

And this month, we’re thrilled to celebrate the newest crayon adventure...

...The Day the Crayons Made Friends. 

To mark this exciting new release, I’ve brought together all of Drew and Oliver’s crayon books in this interactive choice board.

You can click on each book cover to find them in Titlewave, and click here for the full list of books. 

Click on the four cute crayon plushies too. They are also available in Titlewave.

I can’t wait to share The Day the Crayons Made Friends with our students as one of our very first picture books of the year this fall. It’s the perfect story to spark conversations about friendship, creativity, and welcoming others — an inspiring way to kick off a new school year with our friends.

Let’s get reading and make some colorful connections!

Judy Blume Vibes, First Crushes, and All the Feels: Meet The Scott Fenwick Diaries!

 

It's the perfect day outside to finish one of my favorite upcoming books of the year, The Scott Fenwick Diaries.  

This is Kristin Nilsen's newest book, and the sequel to her first hit, Worldwide Crush.  

As I set off to read The Scott Fenwick Diaries, I visited Kristin's website. 

When the lights went out at bedtime, Kristin would pretend to fall asleep and sneak a flashlight under the covers to read just one more chapter. She grew up in a neighborhood full of readers, friends who’d call her up and say, “you wanna come over and read?” And then she moved to a new town and felt like a huge nerd because no one else read as much as she did. That’s when Judy Blume became her best friend; she read every Judy Blume book in the library – even the naughty ones written for adults – because all the people in Judy’s books seemed to have the same problems she did. Kristin finally got to meet Judy Blume as an adult, when she was writing Worldwide Crush, and told Judy that her influence on Worldwide Crush was undeniable. “If this book gets published,” Kristin said, “you can consider yourself one of its creators.”

As soon as I heard about The Scott Fenwick Diaries, I knew it would carry the same fun, heartfelt vibe of Worldwide Crush so I was excited to dive into this advanced copy, thanks to my friends at Media Masters Publicity.

Let me share why Kristin’s latest story swept me off my feet!

In the spirit of Judy Blume, The Scott Fenwick Diaries perfectly captures the charm, cringe, and chaos of middle school life. From the very first page, I connected with Millie—her daydreams, awkward first crushes, close-knit friendships, and quirky family felt so real and relatable. She’s the kind of character you cheer for, laugh with, and sometimes want to gently nudge through the more embarrassing moments.

Kristin does a fantastic job of bringing Millie's world to life with a cast of lovable, eccentric characters. Millie’s grandmas (with their hilarious takes on cute boys, or “foxes”) reminded me of my own grandma. And Pringles the bulldog, along with Tibbs, the bunny-obsessed neighbor, add just the right amount of chaos and charm to Millie’s already messy middle school journey.

Through every hilarious mishap and heartfelt moment, Millie discovers what really matters—learning to trust herself, hold tight to her friends, and embrace growing up on her own terms. I especially love that this story goes beyond crushes; it’s also about confidence, self-discovery, and the power of friendship.

I can’t wait to add The Scott Fenwick Diaries to our library and recommend it to all the tweens navigating the rollercoaster of middle school life. This book is a true gem!

The Scott Fenwick Diaries hits the shelves July 22, 2025.  You will find it here.  

It's such a wonderful new laugh-out-loud, heartfelt, and charming book. I know you and your middle school readers will love it too. 

Get Your Copy Of The Digital ISTE Live 25 Conference Notebook From Book Creator Today, Friends.

 

Are you heading to ISTE Live 25 in San Antonio this month?  Or attending virtually?  

I have the perfect place for you to document your session notes, and to share your thoughts, reflections, and memories with your team and colleagues.  

It's the digital conference notebook from Book Creator!  

Remix the ISTELive25 Notebook and get your notebook ready!  

There are so many pages to choose from including pages for learning goals, 

speaker sessions, overall thoughts, favorite quotes, 

questions, connections, favorite memories, and more. 

I remixed a copy and have been looking through the ISTE Live 25 conference site adding my schedule and other events I don't want to miss. 

I also visited the schedule for all of our amazing Book Creator booth events, 

including mine of Monday and Tuesday, and added them to my conference notebook. 

I can't wait to see you in San Antonio, friends. 

Get Book Creator today and get ready for an amazing week together. 

Look How We Will Celebrate Read for the Record's 20th Anniversary with See Marcus Grow & So Much More!

It's always so much fun when our friends at Jumpstart announce the Read for the Record book.  On Read for the Record day millions around the world read the same book on the same day to celebrate the importance of early literacy. 

This year as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Read for the Record, they are transforming the celebration into an extended 20-week celebration.  It will begin on October 13, 2025 and run through February 26, 2026 for the annual Read for the Record Day.  

And guess what?  Last week, they announced the very special book that we will celebrate with this year.

It's See Marcus Grow, written by Marcus Bridgewater and illustrated by Reggie Brown.  Marcus, also known as the social media sensation Garden Marcus, shows kids the lessons he learned in his grandma's garden when he was growing up.  

When I heard this was the book, I ordered it right away!  You can find it here too. 

I can't wait to share this beautiful story with our readers at Van Meter School. 

His story is an important one to share as it tells the intergenerational story of his grandma and him as they care for their garden together.  

I love thinking about all of the ways we will be able to use See Marcus Grow over those 20 weeks we celebrate Read for the Record.  We will be able to research gardening, fruits and vegetables using PebbleGo and MergeEDU; connect other books and eBooks to this one, create our own books using Book Creator; cut out vegetables and fruits using our ChompSaw's and so much more.  

You will find everything you need to sign up to join Jumpstart's 20th Annual Read for the Record Day here, friends.  

I can't wait to celebrate this wonderful event with all of you.  Let's continue to share our ideas on social at #ReadfortheRecord20th 🩷

Join All Of The Book Creator Events At ISTE Live 25 Booth #3236! It's Going To Be So Much Fun!

I am so excited about all of the amazing event in the Book Creator Booth #3236 at ISTE Live 25! It's going to be such a fun time and one you won't want to miss, friends. 

We have put together a special place on the Book Creator site to find all of the special ISTE Live 25 events. 

To start, there are lots of special Booth Sessions happening all day long Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at ISTE. 

I am presenting 6 Ways To Lead From The Library With Book Creator on Monday, June 30, 11-11:15am and Tuesday, July 31, 11:30-11:45am.

Janet Burnett and I are also presenting in the Librarians Playground on Monday, June 20, 4:30-5:30pm. 

Oh, and don't miss CoffeeEDU at ISTE Live 25 on Monday, June 30, 7:30-8:30am in Room 302BC with Alice Keeler and Book Creator. This will be the best way to kick off the day! 

If you are like me, I love keeping track of what I learn at conference. We have created this super cool Conference Notebook to document your session notes, and to show your thoughts, reflections and memories with your team and colleagues. 

Remix the book here in Book Creator. 

I can't wait to see you at ISTE Live 25, friends. I will be looking for you so we can catch up. 🤠

The June PebbleGo Calendar Is Here! I Love Turning It Into An Interactive Choice Board Too!

The NEW June 2025 PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next Monthly Holiday Calendar is here!  I love these calendars that our friends at Capstone share each month.

In this post, I share more about the PebbleGo Monthly Calendars. 

I love making paper copies of these to share with our teachers and kids. 

They hang them up in their classrooms and hang them in our library too. I also share them online through social media and as an image in Google Classroom or Seesaw. 

Here is the PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next June 2025 Holidays Calendar. 

Last year, when I was sharing the calendars with teachers and students, I thought....Hey, this would be really fun in a choice board! 

So, I opened up a Google Slide, uploaded the PebbleGo June 2025 Holidays Calendar, and added a little chalk board with text over the top.  

Then I went through the calendar and found every special day in PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next. 

For example, National Black Bear Day is on June 7, so they have the Black Bears PebbleGo article featured. I went to PebbleGo and found the article in PebbleGo.

I grabbed the link, as shown in the image above.  

I took that link and added a linked text box around each special date. 

Now, when the kids click on a holiday, it will take them directly to that PebbleGo article.  

You will find the Google Slide here to make a copy and add links to the PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next articles. 

And to make it a choice board, just Publish to the web, as shown in this image above. 

You will share that Published Link with your students.  

I love sharing these interactive PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next Holiday Calendars with our students and teachers. They love learning all about these special days that are highlighted each month too.

I am excited to have the June 2025 PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next ready to go for the month. I hope you will find ways to use it with your students and teachers this month, and all throughout the school year too.