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Maria Salvadore

Reading Rockets' children's literature expert, Maria Salvadore, brings you into her world as she explores the best ways to use kids' books both inside — and outside — of the classroom.

Learning to like learning?

October 2, 2007

My sister works in a school in South Florida that gets a lot of Title I support. I was talking to her earlier today and she told me that they skipped Read Across America last school year; it conflicted with the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, better known as the FCATs. More >

Books alive!

September 27, 2007

There's no better way to make books come to life for children than by introducing them to the authors and illustrators who create them. In fact, I've met children who are inspired to write and illustrate their own books after such an encounter. More >

Talking about change

September 19, 2007

Maybe it's the changing seasons; the fall feel in the air is more frequent these days. Or maybe it's the impending birthdays in my family. I'm trying to forget mine, while the younger members are looking for evidence of growth. More >

Oh, Grandmama!

September 12, 2007

I'm not sure why the old tale "Little Red Riding Hood" continues to resonate with readers; it's been around since 1697 or so. There are literally dozens of retellings, parodies, and take-offs available today. More >

What did you do on your summer vacation?

September 5, 2007

Remember the old assignment that all kids seem to endure when school starts in the fall — the one where you have to tell about what you did on your summer vacation? I hated doing those silly essays. It always seemed that my family never did things that were as much fun as everyone else. Plus, it's probably not the best way to encourage writing. More >

A rotary phone — what is THAT?

August 30, 2007

It was new to us, but our house was almost 100 years old when we moved in some years ago. The previous owner left us hard-wired rotary phones. (They still work, by the way.) My son had no clue how use these weighty antiques; they were from another era entirely. He, like all children, is growing up in a different time in which technology is ubiquitous. More >