Back to School With Book Creator: Resources, Ideas, and Inspiration For Librarians, Teachers, Coaches, and Students!

 

It's back to school time and I have been working on new ideas, projects, advocacy efforts, celebrations, and more. It's one of my favorite times of the year for all of these reasons, and for the fact that we will see our students soon. 

My go-to-resource is Book Creator's Back to School hub.  It is filled with wonderful resources for librarians, teachers, coaches, and students as we bring the joy back to school in a big way this year.  There are hand-picked resources for everyone. The templates, lesson plans, and webinars will save us time and fill us with inspiration for the new school year. 

There are so many ways to use the resources on Book Creator's Back to School site as a teacher librarian, as we collaborate with teachers and coaches, and with our students. 

Let me show you show you some of these ideas and resources I will be using at my K-12 school in a few weeks. 

I will start with Back to School for Teachers. 

I love the Back to School books on this page for myself, and also to share with my teachers.  A big part of my job is collaboration and co-teaching with our teachers, and these books are perfect for this work. 

We can remix any of these into our own library, which make it very easy to use, change, and share.  We can even be co-teachers and work together within any of the books. 

There are featured books in addition to the....

...Templates and Themes we can pick from within Book Creator. 

This year, I am using the magazine template to create my library newsletter. Teachers will love learning about these as they can use the templates for their newsletters too. 

More to come soon on how I use Book Creator to create my library newsletter and other marketing materials.

I am crazy about these two books, Digital Norms (Elementary) and Digital Norms (Secondary)! 

These are absolutely perfect for librarians to use as we teach and support media and digital literacy, including digital citizenship, within our libraries, classrooms, and homes. 

These remixable books help teachers and students establish expectations for using technology responsibly and respectfully. It includes prompts and activities around:

 AI use in the classroom

 Digital discourse and collaboration

 Evaluating sources

 Online privacy and safety

It’s a great way to introduce digital citizenship at the start of the year—and spark important conversations in any classroom.

Now, let's take a look into Back to School for Coaches.  This page highlights resources for administrators, tech leaders, coaches, librarians, and other specialists when using Book Creator within the school district.  

It also gives important information for schools and districts who are new to Book Creator. 

At the top of the page, click on Get the toolkit and it will open into a new toolkit that was developed to help the roll out and implementation of Book Creator. 

Another important part of my job as the teacher librarian at Van Meter is wearing the hat of technology integrationist so these resources will come in so handy as we kick off another amazing year with Book Creator.  

On each page, there is also an Essential Reading list filled with new posts from the Book Creator blog. 

I love the post at the bottom, Make Back To School Night Accessible.  This is an important article for us as librarians, and also for us to share with our teachers as they dream up new ways to celebrate back to school time. 

Book Creator is offering a Back to School Special Deal too.  You can read all about it here. 

No matter your role—teacher librarian, classroom teacher, STEM educator, or administrator—we’re all working toward the same goal: creating engaging, inclusive, and joyful learning spaces for students.

I know you’ll find something to love in Book Creator’s Back to School hub. Let me know how you’re using these resources in your school—and don’t forget to share them with your colleagues too!

You've Been Book'd With Fiction and Nonfiction Books About Birds

 

We love reading stories about birds! From colorful tales in fiction to fascinating facts in nonfiction, there are so many wonderful books about birds for readers of all ages.

Books about birds—and other amazing animals—are perfect to use all throughout the year for storytimes, research projects, STEAM connections, and just for the joy of reading.

I love pairing these books with digital resources like PebbleGo for easy, engaging research and MergeEDU, where students can explore birds up close through augmented reality. 

In this special Bird Book Choice Board, you can click on each book cover to find it in Follett Content’s Titlewave, and you’ll also find the full list linked within the board.

Have fun exploring, reading, and learning all about our feathered friends! 

The August Webinar Lineup From Follett Content Is Here!

 

Our friends at Follett Content have quite the lineup of webinars coming up in August.  

These webinars are packed with insights to inspire and empower educators and librarians. 

You can check out the full schedule here and register for these webinars today.

I am excited to be one of those webinars on August 12th.  I hope you will join my amazing friends and I for Year-Round Celebrations: Plan Your Library's Special Events. 

These webinars are such an important and meaningful way for all of us to get ready for a new year and kick it off being inspired and filled with new ideas and information. Hope to see you there! 

The August Activity Journal From Book Creator Is Here, Friends! Remix and Share With Your Students Today!

 

The August Activity Journal from Book Creator is here! 

The August Activity Journal is packed full of special activities to celebrate amazing events throughout August including...

...National Coloring Book Day. 

World Blogger Day, 

Book Lovers Day and My Favorite Books Day, 

We Love Memories Day, and so much more.

And don't forget that you can get all of the Monthly Activity Journals in the back of the August Activity Journal too.

Remix the August Activity Journal and make it your own. You can change up any of the pages and then share it with your students. 

The Book Creator Activity Journals are perfect to share for summer and back-to-school learning, creating and fun. 

Get Book Creator today, friends.

Bringing AI Literacy to Life in K–5 Classrooms With Robo Wunderkind's AI Literacy Curriculum!

 

As we gear up for a new school year, AI Literacy—and what it means for us as educators and librarians—is top of mind.

This summer, I’ve immersed myself in learning all I can about AI literacy. From ISTE and other conferences to webinars, podcasts, and professional development sessions, I’ve gained valuable insights into how we can thoughtfully and responsibly bring AI into our schools. I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned and help empower our students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and think critically in an AI-powered world.

That’s where Robo Wunderkind’s new AI Literacy Curriculum comes in—offering the tools and support we need to make AI literacy a powerful part of teaching and learning this year.  

In fact, it's the world's first K-5 AI Literacy Curriculum developed with AI International Standards.

As they share online, 

Robo Wunderkind’s AI Literacy curriculum introduces elementary age students to Artificial Intelligence (AI) through hands-on, exploratory activities. Spanning grades K-5, this collection of unplugged and AI-powered robotics lessons provides a scaffolded entry to AI so students can understand these tools, learn how they work, and think critically about how they can be used to improve people’s lives and communities. 

In today’s world, AI describes computers that can do many things we associate with human intelligence: write text, drive a car, create art, design and code websites. This may make AI seem like magic, but it is important to remember that AI can only do impressive things because humans design, test, and improve the technology every day. Preparing students for an AI-driven world requires molding them into conscientious users and engineers that will shape the way AI tools are built and used. 

Lessons in this unit are aligned with the Artificial Intelligence for K–12 initiative’s (AI4K12) curriculum guidelines.

You can see how the Robo Wunderkind AI Literacy Curriculum works here.

You can register here to bring the Robo Wunderkind AI Literacy Curriculum to your classrooms and libraries today.

I know you’ll be inspired by what you learn about AI literacy—and you’ll especially love how this incredible K–5 curriculum brings it to life for your students in engaging, meaningful, and fun ways.

Enter The Book Creator #ClearTheList Giveaway...and Tag Your Teacher BFF Too!

 

As we get ready to head back to school, we are all making lists of supplies we need for our libraries and classrooms. 

Book Creator would LOVE to help you #ClearTheList in this special giveaway. 

As shared in this Instagram post,

Both you and your teacher bestie could win up to $250 each toward your classroom wishlists.  Yes, both of you can enter to double your chance. 

Head on over to this Instagram post to find out how to enter. 

Winners will be announced on August 11th...just in time for back to school!  Good luck, friends. 

Join Us For The Back To School Special: Ask A Future Ready Librarian!

 

As the new school year begins, librarians play a pivotal role in leading innovation, supporting student learning, and fostering a culture of literacy and digital engagement. But how can you effectively implement the Future Ready Librarians Framework while navigating challenges and seizing new opportunities?

Experienced Future Ready Librarians will share their best practices, lessons learned, and strategies for success in today’s evolving educational landscape.

During this session, we will :

• Hear from experienced Future Ready Librarians about what’s working in their schools and libraries.
• Address common hurdles and explore innovative ways to apply the Future Ready Librarians Framework in your unique setting.
• Learn actionable tips to enhance your leadership, build strong collaborations, and grow your professional impact.

You can register here, friends. 

On this page, you will find the entire 2025 Future Ready Librarians webinar series. Two are achieved and there are two more coming up in August and November. 

1 Day Until ISTE Digital Explorers—Explore Ana's Smart Move and the Book Creator Reading Companion!

It's one day until the release of my new early chapter book series, ISTE Digital Explorers, with Capstone and ISTE.  

Throughout this week, we will celebrate the first four books in this series.  I already shared three of the books, Sonia Speaks Up, Hagan Proudly Presents, and Jack's Playground Plan.

Today, we celebrate Ana's Smart Move. 

Each book supports one of the ISTE Student Standards, which are highlighted in the back of each book. 

Ana's supports the ISTE Student Standard: Computational Thinker.  

Students identify authentic problems, work with data, and use step-by-step processes to explore and develop solutions.

In the book, there are Words To Know, 

helpful tips to teach your students, 

questions to Think About, 

...and a special activity, Step-by-Step Sandwich Challenge. 

I also worked with my friends at Book Creator to create a wonderful Reading Companion for each book. 

These amazing Reading Companions bring the ISTE Digital Explorers series to life through activities and projects that support and highlight the story, characters, and of course the ISTE Student Standard, Computational Thinker.  

You will find Ana's Smart Move on this special Book Creator site, along with everything they created for ISTE Digital Explorers.

I love how it brings the book to life with these activities where students can add...

...text, drawings, stickers, voice, video and more. 

I can't wait to use Ana's Smart Move with my students, and the Book Creator Reading Companion will be the perfect place to teach, practice and celebrate the skills of being an Computational Thinker.

You'll need a Book Creator account to remix the books into your own library.

And you will find the ISTE Digital Explorers at Capstone and on Titlewave too.

I can't wait to share more about my new books this week. They are available August 1, 2025.

2 Days Until ISTE Digital Explorers—Explore Jack's Playground Plan and the Book Creator Reading Companion!

 

It's two days until the release of my new early chapter book series, ISTE Digital Explorers, with Capstone and ISTE.  

Over the next two days, we will celebrate the first four books in this series.  I already shared two of the books, Sonia Speaks Up and Hagan Proudly Presents. 

Today, we celebrate Jack's Playground Plan. 

Each book supports one of the ISTE Student Standards, which are highlighted in the back of each book. 

Jack's Playground Plan supports the ISTE Student Standard: Innovative Designer.  

Students solve problems by creating new and imaginative solutions using a variety of digital tools. 

In the book, there are Words To Know, 

helpful tips to teach your students, 

questions to Think About, 

...and a special activity, Time to Innovate. 

This one is supported by Merge in an amazing activity they created using Merge and Tinkercad. You will find this activity here.

I also worked with my friends at Book Creator to create a wonderful Reading Companion for each book. 

These amazing Reading Companions bring the ISTE Digital Explorers series to life through activities and projects that support and highlight the story, characters, and of course the ISTE Student Standard, Empowered Learner.  

You will find Jack's Playground Plan on this special Book Creator site, along with everything they created for ISTE Digital Explorers.

I love how it brings the book to life with these activities where students can add...

...text, drawings, stickers, voice, video and more. 

I can't wait to use Jack's Playground Plan with my students, and the Book Creator Reading Companion will be the perfect place to teach, practice and celebrate the skills of being an Innovator Designer.

You'll need a Book Creator account to remix the books into your own library.

And you will find the ISTE Digital Explorers at Capstone and on Titlewave too.

I can't wait to share Ana's Smart Move tomorrow, friends!