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Picture Books That Make Teaching Character Traits Easy and Fun

Tech Fun In The Library

One of the first things I teach at the beginning of the year is character traits. We talk about them a lot all year long, so it’s important to make sure students really understand what they are from the start. And honestly, this lesson is always one of my favorites — it’s fun, easy to connect to, and gets great conversations going.

I start by showing my character traits anchor chart that hangs on the whiteboard at the front of the room. We go over what a character trait is and the difference between inside traits (like how a character feels or acts) and outside traits (like how they look or dress).

Once we have discussed character traits I read a picture book that really shows character traits in action. I encourage them to think about the character traits as they listen to the story. After we read, I have students raise their hands and share a trait they noticed. After they identify the trait they tell me if it’s an inside or outside trait. Simple, but powerful — and the kids get it.

Here’s what I read by grade level:

  • Kindergarten – Grumpy Monkey
    We talk about feelings and how Jim shows them, even if he says he’s “fine.” It’s a great way to start talking about inside traits.
  • 1st Grade – The Recess Queen
    This one always gets good reactions. We talk about how kids act when they want friends and how behavior shows what’s going on inside.
  • 2nd Grade – Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
    The kids love Molly Lou. We notice how she looks different (outside trait) but also how brave and confident she is (inside trait).
  • 3rd Grade – The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
    This one brings out some great connections. We talk about how the character feels pressure to be perfect and what happens when she finally messes up.
  • 4th Grade – A Bad Case of Stripes
    Such a fun book! We dig into how the main character changes and what she learns about being herself. Lots of inside traits to explore.
  • 5th Grade – The Paper Bag Princess
    This one always surprises them. We talk about bravery, confidence, and how the princess is different from what they expect.

By the end, students are usually excited to share traits, and they’re already starting to think a little deeper about the characters in books. It’s an engaging way to start working on story elements — and they don’t even realize how much they’re learning because they’re having so much fun with the books.

Starting the Year with a Library-Themed “Would You Rather” Game

Tech Fun In The Library

One of my favorite ways to kick off the school year in the library is with a good old-fashioned game of “Would You Rather”—library-style! It’s a simple, fun activity that helps me get to know the kids and gets them learning a little bit about each other too. Plus, it gets them moving, which is always a win!

I use a Google Slides version of the game that I project on the whiteboard. Each slide has a fun, library-themed question with two choices (A or B), and students move to the side of the room that matches their answer. Example: “Would you rather read books that make you laugh or books that make you scared?” Boom—movement, laughter, and instant conversation starters.

As a library teacher, I only see students twice a week, so I don’t get the same daily time with them that their classroom teachers do. That’s why I try to be intentional about relationship-building right from the start. This game gives me a peek into their personalities and interests in a low-pressure way. And honestly, it’s just fun to see what they pick!

It’s also great for helping students learn about their classmates. They get to see who shares their love of fantasy books or who’s also into listening to audiobooks instead of reading print. It’s quick, interactive, and gets us all smiling and talking—exactly how I want the year to start.

If you’re looking for a simple way to connect with students and build community in your library space, give it a try. The Google Slides version I use is available in my TPT store if you want to grab it and use it with your own classes. You might just learn who would rather read a book that smells like cookies or read a book that makes noises when you turn the page—and that’s important stuff to know.

Shop here for your Library Themed Would You Rather.

Summer Reset: Rest, Read, and Get Ready

Tech Fun In The Library

Summer is my time to relax and decompress from the busy school year. I think it’s so important to recharge after a busy, hectic, stressful school year. I spend the first part of my summer resting, binge-watching favorite shows, and enjoying time with family and friends doing all the fun summer things.

Around mid-July, I start to slowly shift back into school mode. I don’t go full speed, but I begin doing little things that help me feel more prepared for the new year. I’m always reading new books so I can have fresh titles to share with my students in the fall. As I am reading I am adding books to my Amazon wishlist. This helps me have my first book order partially completed before I even get back to school.

One thing I try to keep up on is making sure that my Donors Choose page is updated. If I’m lucky enough to have a project funded, I try to post a new one right away. So far this summer, I’ve had two projects funded and I’m so thankful for the kind people who made that happen. This means I have created two new book projects and posted them. I usually try to keep at least two live book projects going at a time. There is also a match day coming up so I am working on adding two extra projects…just in case. It is definitely worth the time to create and post projects to add books to your library.

Another thing I focus on in the summer is my Teachers Pay Teachers shop. I try to keep a running list of ideas I have throughout the year and focus on getting them completed over the summer. During the school year, there’s just not enough time to get everything done, so summer is the perfect time to add new resources, write blog posts, and get my shop ready for back-to-school shoppers.

In early August, I like to go into school for a day or two to get my bulletin boards done before our in-service days begin. Once the meetings start, there’s barely time to do it all. I enjoy being back in the library, getting things organized for the first day and enjoying the peace and tranquility of my library. I sharpen pencils, refill crayon totes, replace broken erasers, and tidy up cupboards that got a little wild at the end of the year and just try to get to those little things that will make the first day run a bit smoother.

I know that working over contract hours is controversial to some. Even though I try not to let school take over my whole summer, I’ve learned that a little prep now saves a lot of stress later. This fall will be year 33 for me, and that’s one thing I’ve figured out over time—being just a little ahead makes a big difference in how I feel the first week of school. We all have to do what works best for our own situation and for me a few days doesn’t seem like I am overdoing it or giving too much of my time.

I hope you’re enjoying your summer break. Take care, relax, and recharge—you’ve earned it!

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Back to School in the Library: A Fun & Productive First Week

Tech Fun In The Library

The first week back in the library is always exciting, and this year will be no different! We will spend the first visit talking about library rules, book care, and how to be respectful and responsible with our library materials. We will also go over basic classroom rules focusing on being respectful, responsible, and safe. It’s so important to set the stage for a great year of reading, and that all starts with knowing the basics.

For each grade, we will read a different book related to library skills and book care. I read a different book to each grade level so that they are not getting the same books year after year. With the younger kids we will read about how to treat books gently, and older grades discussed things like where books live in the library and how to find what they need. After reading, we always have a great discussion about the key points from the book, like why it’s important to keep our books in good shape and return them on time.

Then comes the best part: the first checkout of the year! I love that everyone gets to check out books on day one—yes, even the Kindergarten students! Some like to make them wait or limit them to books they keep in class but I let them check out and take home. These young readers are just as excited to take books home as the older kids, and in fact, they are often the best at bringing them back because parents seem to be more involved and on top of returning weekly.

The first day is always full of energy, excitement, and a lot of book love. It’s a great way to kick off a year of reading, learning, and growing in the library! Looking forward to another fun and productive year ahead.

Happily Ever After in the Library

Tech Fun In The Library

The countdown to summer has begun, and let’s be honest — things are getting a little wild. Teachers are tired, students are buzzing with end-of-year energy, and routines are starting to blur. But before we close the books for the year, there’s still time for one more exciting unit in the library: fairy tales! It’s the perfect mix of fun, imagination, and just enough structure to keep us going strong to the finish line.

Each year in May I love doing a fairy tale unit with all of my K-6 library classes. We start off by going over the elements of a fairy tale. I use a Google Slides presentation that we look at together as a class. It covers things like magical elements, good vs. evil, unique characters, and the number 3. Then we jump into reading different fairy tales. I pick different ones for each grade so I can reuse the same plans next year without having to start from scratch.

As we read, I ask the students to find the fairy tale elements we talked about. Once I have read the fairy tale I then ask them to tell me what elements they saw in the story. Students raise their hands and I give them the chance to pick one. This is also a time you could have them turn to their table partner and discuss them together before sharing. It is always fun to see their excitement as they recall the story and elements.

After that, I introduce fractured fairy tales — the silly or twisted versions of the originals. We read lots of those too. The older kids, grades 4–6, get to write their own fractured fairy tales, and they always come up with such creative and funny ideas. I have created some graphic organizers that work well for helping them to gather their thoughts and get those creative juices flowing. While students may start with a groan about writing it usually turns out to be one of their favorite projects.

To wrap up the unit I like to read fairy tales from other countries. It’s a great way to show students that these stories exist all over the world and often teach similar lessons. They start to notice how different cultures tell similar kinds of stories.

This unit is always a highlight of the year. It’s fun, engaging, and a great way to end the school year on a high note.

Shop here for your fractured fairy tale graphic organizers.

Donors Choose: A Librarian’s Secret Weapon

Tech Fun In The Library

Using Donors Choose is a great way to get new resources for your library. Over the last 8 years, I’ve received over $25,000 in donations for our library through this site.

Creating a project doesn’t take long, and the payoff can be big. I usually keep my projects around $100–$150. That way, when there’s a match offer, the amount left is small, and many times a donor will step in and fully fund it.

It’s also smart to watch for funding opportunities. A lot of times they’re tied to fun learning activities you can do with your students. When you complete them, you get a gift code to use on your own projects.

I don’t use my gift codes right away. I hold on to them until there’s a match day, so I get more bang for my buck. Once a project is funded I make sure to send pictures and thank you messages to the donors so they know how much I appreciate their support.

If you haven’t tried Donors Choose yet, give it a shot. It’s really helped our library, and it can help yours too.

Below images: project funded May 2025 and projects funded over the summer 2024

Kick Off Poetry Month with Haikus

Tech Fun In The Library

April is Poetry Month, and I love celebrating it in the library! But I know not all students feel the same way about poetry. A lot of them don’t really enjoy it, mostly because they don’t understand it. That’s totally okay! I like to start with something simple and fun that everyone can enjoy—a Haiku.

Haikus are perfect for students in grades 2-6. They are easy to understand and fun to make. A Haiku is a very short poem, just three lines long. The lines follow a simple syllable pattern: 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, and 5 syllables in the third line. It’s a great way to get started with poetry because the structure is simple and it’s not overwhelming.

To start, I like to read books that are written entirely in Haiku. This helps students hear the rhythm of the Haiku format and see how it can be used to tell a whole story or share a message. Reading these Haiku books gives students a chance to experience how simple syllables can come together to create something beautiful. It also shows them that writing a complete book using Haikus is possible! After hearing the books, students are often excited to try writing their own Haikus.

To help students learn about Haikus, I created my own Google Slides presentation. It takes them step by step through the process of writing a Haiku. I like to go through each slide with the class and explain everything clearly. There’s even a slide where we all work together to create a Haiku as a class. It’s a great way to get everyone involved and show them that poetry isn’t as hard as it seems.

Kwame Alexander has a great video on Youtube that helps students understand Haikus. I use it every year and students are enthralled and listening to his instructions. Here is a link to his video if you would like to use it. Kwame Introduces Haikus

Once the students write their own Haikus, they feel really proud of their work. It’s amazing how something so simple can spark creativity and help them see that poetry can be fun and not so scary after all. So if you want to celebrate Poetry Month in a way that everyone can enjoy, try starting with a Haiku! It’s a great way to show students how easy and fun poetry can be.

Shop here for a poetry unit lesson plan with Haiku presentation included

Looking for Library Fundraising? Have a Read-A- Thon!

Tech Fun In The Library

As a librarian, one of my primary goals is to encourage students to develop a love for reading while ensuring our school library has the resources it needs to continue fostering that passion. For the last 4 years I have been doing something for our library that allows me to meet both of these goals: a Read-A-Thon. The results have been incredible, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about our choice to hold a Read -A-Thon each year.

A Simple, Yet Effective Way to Fundraise

The Read-A-Thon proved to be a game-changer for our library’s fundraising efforts. We are a small district and this year we had 108 students sign up for the Read-A-Thon and log their minutes. But with 108 students participating, the total minutes read was an impressive 37,179! That was up 10,000 minutes from last year. And as if that wasn’t impressive enough, the Read-A-Thon raised over $5,000 for the library—all with very little effort on my part.

What made this event so successful wasn’t just the enthusiasm of the students, but also the simplicity of the process. The Read-A-Thon website was incredibly user-friendly, making it easy for both students and their families to get involved. No need to worry about tracking down donation checks or loose change—people could donate directly through the website, making the whole process smooth and convenient.

Encouraging Reading While Raising Funds

One of the best parts of the Read-A-Thon was that it motivated students to read even more! With the goal of logging as many minutes as possible, students dove into books with an enthusiasm that was contagious. It was so heartwarming to see them excited not just about earning money for the library, but also about the simple act of reading.

The Read-A-Thon was a perfect blend of education and fundraising. It gave students a tangible way to support their school while also developing their reading skills. Plus, they were able to share their accomplishments with their families, who were excited to support them—and the library—by making donations.

Easy, No-Hassle Fundraising

From a fundraising perspective, the Read-A-Thon was a dream. The website made everything so easy—from registering students to tracking minutes read and donations made. It was simple for parents to sign up their children and make donations online, which meant no paperwork or collection of physical money for me to handle.

Not only did this reduce my workload significantly, but it also gave families a chance to participate from the comfort of their homes. The transparency of the online platform helped everyone see how much was being raised in real-time, which sparked even more excitement throughout the event.

Prizes for Readers

While the Read-A-Thon company does provide prizes I decided to go with the option to provide my own prizes to motivate our students. The PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) was incredibly generous, also donating funds to support a special Grand Prize for each grade level—a family 4-pack to either the zoo, museum, or water park!

To keep things exciting, I also organized random drawings for those who logged minutes, offering a fun field trip to the museum as a reward.

Additionally, we wanted to recognize our top achievers: the top 3 money raisers and top 3 readers received an exciting field trip to a local bookstore, where they each received a $25 gift card to spend on books of their choice.

These prizes not only encouraged students to participate but also made the entire event more fun and engaging for everyone involved!

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for an effortless and effective way to fundraise for your school library while encouraging students to read, I can’t recommend the Read-A-Thon enough. It’s a win-win situation: students are motivated to read more, and you raise funds for your library with little hassle. The event was a success, and I’m already looking forward to next year!

If you’re interested in hosting your own Read-A-Thon, I highly suggest checking out the website. It’s an incredibly easy tool to use, and I’m confident it will help you reach your fundraising goals just like it did for us.

Happy reading! 📚

St. Patrick’s Day Read Alouds

Tech Fun In The Library

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just about wearing green or hunting for four-leaf clovers—it’s also a fantastic opportunity to share stories that bring the magic of Ireland to life. Read-alouds are a great way to engage kids and ignite their imagination while introducing them to the rich culture and folklore of this festive day.

Whether you’re reading about leprechauns, shamrocks, or the legend of St. Patrick, these books offer a perfect blend of fun and learning. Not only do read-alouds help improve literacy skills, but they also create lasting memories and spark conversations about Irish traditions.

Some fantastic St. Patrick’s Day-themed read-alouds that I share with my students include:

  1. How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace – A playful, rhyming story about mischievous leprechauns and clever traps.
  2. The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing is a festive and fun twist on the classic “Night Before Christmas” rhyme. The story follows two children eagerly preparing for St. Patrick’s Day.
  3. Fiona’s Luck by Gail Gibbons – A charming Irish folk tale that reimagines a classic legend with a delightful twist. Follow along as Fiona outwits the leprechauns with her quick thinking and courage.
  4. The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever! by Teddy Slater – A delightful story that follows a young boy named Sean as he celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with his family. Sean believes this will be the best St. Patrick’s Day ever, but when his plans to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow don’t go as expected, he learns that true luck comes from the love and joy of family and friends.
  5. Pete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase by Kimberly and James Dean – When Pete hears about a leprechaun who might have hidden a pot of gold, he decides to go on a chase to find it.
  6. Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola – A humorous Irish folktale about a lazy man named Jamie O’Rourke. One day, Jamie’s wife falls ill, and it’s up to him to grow a potato for their dinner. However, Jamie’s laziness leads to a surprising outcome—a giant potato that he can’t handle on his own.
  7. Green Shamrocks by Eve Bunting – Rabbit is growing shamrocks in a pretty yellow pot–he’s getting them ready for St. Patrick’s Day so he can wear them for the parade! When his pot of beautiful green shamrocks goes missing, he goes searching . . . will he find them in time?
  8. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover by Lucille Colandro – A fun twist on the classic “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” rhyme, with a St. Patrick’s Day theme.
  9. The Luckiest Leprechaun by Bryce Dallas Howard – A story about a young leprechaun named Finn who is known for his luck. Despite his good fortune, Finn feels a little lonely and longs for a true friend to share his luck with.

So, gather around, open a book, and let the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day fill the room with joy and excitement through the magic of storytelling.

Are you looking for some fun book activities to use with students? Here are a few that I use:

Shop Here for Fiona’s Luck

Shop Here for The Luckiest Leprechaun

Shop Here for There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover

Looking for some learning games to use for St. Patrick’s Day? Check out these fun activities:

Shop Here for Shelf Order Practice

Shop Here for Leprechaun Coding

Shop Here for St. Patrick’s Day Sudoku

Groundhog Day in the Library

Tech Fun In The Library

This little holiday is overlooked by many. I know in my school, until I started sharing books about Groundhog Day, most my young readers had never even heard of it. Teachers have so much to squeeze into their day they don’t have time to add this little holiday into the mix. Thus, sharing books and “celebrating” in the library is a great way to expose students to this quirky little holiday that is sometimes overlooked.

Groundhog Day Read Alouds

Each year I have a different book that I read to each grade. Reading picture books about Groundhog Day to students in the library is a delightful way to get them excited about the season’s big question—will we have an early spring or six more weeks of winter? Depending on where February 2nd falls in the we will celebrate the day of or the day before and other years we celebrate the day after.

Here are some books I like to share with my students:

  • Kindergarten: How to Catch a Groundhog
  • 1st Grade: Wake Up Groundhog
  • 2nd Grade: Groundhog’s Day Off
  • 3rd Grade: Groundhog’s Dilemma
  • 4th Grade: Groundhog Gets a Say
  • 5th Grade: Groundhog Gets it Wrong
  • 6th Grade: Phil’s Big Day

After we read the story I like to share a video about Groundhog Day so they understand the background behind it and why it is celebrated. Here are a couple good ones I found on Youtube that I like to share with students.

Lesson Finale

After reading the picture book and watching the short video it is time to actually watch the real Phil make his predictions. It is fun to do a quick class vote to see who wants 6 more weeks of winter and who wants an early spring. This year my classes had an overwhelming desire for 6 more weeks of winter because we have not had any snow yet and we are all still hopeful.

If I am doing this lesson prior to Groundhog Day I show the video from the previous year to let them see how it works. Once February 2nd has arrived and the new prediction is made I take time in class to show them the current results. This year Groundhog Day falls on Sunday February 2nd so we will do the lesson on Monday February 3rd and Tuesday February 4th. We will then be able to watch the most recent prediction on the same day we read the stories. I always just go to Youtube and look for “Groundhog Phil Prediction Pennsylvania” to find the most recent one.

Here is the one from this year that we watched.

There you have it, celebrating Groundhog Day in the library with picture books and short video clips is a fun and engaging way to introduce your students to this quirky tradition. So, whether you’re reading a fun picture book, watching a short video, or doing both Groundhog Day in the library is a fantastic way to embrace the season and spark children’s imaginations.

Looking for some fun activities to add to your lesson?

Shop here for Wake Up! Groundhog

Shop here for How to Catch a Groundhog