A little girl and her canine assistant set out to make the most magnificent thing. But after much hard work, the end result is not what the girl had in mind. Frustrated, she quits. Her assistant suggests a long walk, and as they walk, it slowly becomes clear what the girl needs to do to succeed. A charming story that will give kids the most magnificent thing: perspective!

A little girl and her canine assistant set out to make the most magnificent thing. But after much hard work, the end result is not what the girl had in mind. Frustrated, she quits. Her assistant suggests a long walk, and as they walk, it slowly becomes clear what the girl needs to do to succeed. A charming story that will give kids the most magnificent thing: perspective!

The latest addition to The Most Magnificent series. In this vocabulary book, the characters from The Most Magnificent Thing walk readers from A to Z, through all the words little makers need to know. It captures the ups (“I is for IDEA. A gift from the imagination that wants to be made.”) and downs (“P is for PATIENCE. Most things don’t work the first time … or the third time …. or even the twelfth time.”) of creating and includes explanations of key concepts (“B is for BRAINSTORM. When ideas of all shapes and sizes rain onto the page.”) Witty, clever and encouraging, it’s sure to inspire endless magnificent making!

The long-awaited sequel to the runaway bestseller The Most Magnificent Thing! This is the story of a girl who, with her dog at her side, loves to make things. Her brain is an “idea machine,” always so full of ideas, she can hardly keep up! But then, one day … it isn’t. All of a sudden, the girl can’t think of anything to make. She tries brainstorming, gathering new supplies, even jumping up and down on one foot to shake an idea loose. Nothing. What if she never has another idea again? Readers everywhere will be rooting for their favorite thing-maker to get her mojo back!

Through this book, readers will discover that stories can move the human heart and head in ways that research cannot. Stories bring together readers, writers, librarians, teachers, students, and families in the libraries of today and will continue to do so tomorrow. Written for all those lovers of literacy, this book links libraries and literacies through the power of stories. The book is not filled with data in the form of pie charts, graphs, and tables. Rather, the truth of the research is grounded in authentic stories that reflect not only the interpretation of data, but also the transformative nature of literacies and libraries. The author's primary goal is that readers will come to value and use storytelling in their own professional and personal lives to explain and expand on complex concepts and to make information more accessible for all. The book begins by presenting anecdotes and the author's personal story to lay the foundation for what literacies are, and what literacy is not. An activity, "Spiral of Literacy," allows readers to reflect on their own literacies. Chapters that follow each begin with a story that sets the theoretical foundation. Each chapter concludes with an action section that demonstrates how to turn theory to practice, whether you are in a library, a classroom, or at home. A final chapter envisions what libraries might look like in 10 years, through interviews with librarians, teachers, and others interested in literacy.

Powerful Understanding explores effective ways to build social-emotional skills and help students make connections, question what they read, and reflect on their learning as they develop into stronger readers and learners. Lessons based in both strategic and critical thinking revolve around core anchor books that help integrate inquiry into everything you teach — from social responsibility, to immigration, to life cycles. This highly readable book includes a wealth of classroom examples and extensive hands-on activities designed to help students to think more deeply, learn more widely, and develop a more powerful understanding of what it means to be a responsible and compassionate person.