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Celebrate and Honor Fabulous Authors

July is the birth month of some of the greatest authors of all time, from E. B. White to Beatrix Potter. This week, we are highlighting web resources that you can use to introduce your students to various authors, both past and present. 

Grades 8-12

Dr. Maya Angelou's Official Website

Read all about this outstanding best-selling author, playwright, and civil rights activist's remarkable accomplishments. Explore news, a biography, photo and video galleries (under Celebrate 95 Years), music, and descriptions of her books and films.

Grades K-2

The Official Eric Carle Website

Engage with this colorful resource that includes a listing of Eric Carle's books. Click the Resources tab a the top to find suggested activities, games, downloadable activity sheets with coloring pages, newsletter archives, and more.

Grades K-8

Video and Audio Interviews With 150 Renowned Children's Book Authors and Illustrators

As you introduce a new book or author, bring them to life for your students. Get to know your favorite children's and young adult authors and illustrators by seeing and hearing from them directly. Watch the videos or listen to the interviews as a podcast.

Grades 1-7

The World of Beverly Cleary

Celebrate Ramona as you view a video about Beverly Cleary turning 100, explore tons of background information about the books on your shelf, take quizzes about how well you know the characters, and access other activities.

Grades 6-8

Langston Hughes: Artist and Historian

Find a complete lesson plan related to the prolific poet Langston Hughes. This lesson explores his poetry, setting it up as a "vehicle by which students are exposed to the African-American experience in the United States of the 1920s through the 1960s."

Grades 8-12

Jane Austen

Share information about Jane Austen and the Regency Period. View the links to e-texts of various novels, story discussions, letters, quotes, biographies, academic articles, and information on the Jane Austen Centre and Museum.

Grades 2-6

The Roald Dahl Website

Peruse this engaging website dedicated to Roald Dahl and his literature. Click the tabs to read about his stories, find teacher resources, and explore free lesson plans that correspond with many of his most famous books (even for preschool levels).

Grades 8-12

Jack London Online Collection

Dive into this site that includes a biography of Jack London, answers to frequently asked questions, documents (including letters, postcards, and telegrams) related to his life and work, and a list of his novels and biographies.

Grades 3-9

Judy Blume's Home Base

Read all about Judy Blume as she discusses her writing, censorship, her books (with notes about them from the author), and her life. The site includes links to her blog, a section for kids, and other websites about her biography and books.

Grades 4-9

Madeleine L'Engle

Engage and learn through the various categories on the top menu, including links to a movie trailer made from her book “A Wrinkle in Time,” short summaries of all her books, and reading and activity guides for teachers working with students.

Grades 6-12

African American Women Writers of the 19th Century

If you teach American literature, check out this collection of works by nineteenth-century African American women. The resources include fiction, poetry, essays, and more; all are formatted in an easy-to-use on-screen display.

This Week at TeachersFirst

Join us this week for two opportunities for professional development: our OK2Ask virtual workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday. We are also sharing a related blog post and kindly ask for your input on our weekly poll.