Anderson’s Bookshops (Naperville) is hosting their Fall Educator Extravaganza on October 20 at 3:00 pm. Spend the afternoon exploring phenomenal kid lit, and earn 1 free hour of professional development.
Reserve your free tickets before they are gone.
Anderson’s Bookshop is bringing K-8 educators & #kidlit creators back together in the Chicago suburbs for a day-and-a half of community, learning, and celebration of all things literacy! Anderson’s Bookshops gives a 20% discount to items educators purchase for their classrooms or libraries, and this will be honored at LITapalooza. As an added bonus, educators will earn CPUDs.
Hope to see you there!
—Jenn
Who’s coming to LITapalooza 2024?
Keynote Speakers: Minh Lê and Dan Santat
**Your ticket includes a free signed copy of Built to Last, written by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat.
Guest Authors:
Vera Ahiyya, John David Anderson, Cale Atkinson, Tracey Baptiste, Bethany Barton, Cece Bell, Ashley Belote, Tadgh Bentley, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Valerie Bolling, Jessica Burkhart, Nidhi Chanani, Johnnie Christmas, Ben Clanton, Abby Cooper, Lindsay Currie, Sayantani DasGupta, Cori Doerrfeld, Antwan Eady, Vicky Fang, Saadia Faruqi, Josh Funk, Alyson Gerber, Chris Grabenstein, Andrew Hacket, Nathan Hale, Kate Hannigan, Mary Winn Heider, Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm, Alan Katz, Lisa Katzenberger, Supriya Kelkar, Lily LaMotte, David LaRochelle, Kari Lavelle, Jarrett Lerner, Loren Long, Stephanie V.F. Lucianovic, Kekla Magoon, Laurie Morrison, Jamar Nicholas, Rex Ogle, Jarrett Pumphrey, Jerome Pumphrey, Rekha Rajan, Jean Reidy, Mae Respicio, Michael Rex, Barb Rosenstock, Katherine, Roy, Blythe Russo, Sarah Sax, John Schu, Stephen Shaskan, Sheetal Sheth, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Esme Symes-Smith, Ruth Spiro, Elly Swartz, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Jana Tropper, Refe & Susan Tuma, Colleen AF Venable, Jasmine Warga, & Kaz Windness!
Schedule
**Lunch – A variety of food trucks will be available to purchase lunch and snacks throughout day 1. You can also have lunch on your own.
Morning (located right outside the auditorium):
Lunch Food Trucks
Location
Where: Neuqua Valley High School, 2360 95th Street, Naperville, IL
Tuesday, April 26, 2024
Dearest Tree Hugging Readers,
It is with TREE-mendous excitement that I am sharing Arbor Day literature and resources.
My love affair of trees dates back to my earliest childhood memories. Our family planted and cared for a variety of fruit trees. Apple, peach, pear, cherry, and plum trees provided shade on sunny days; fresh juicy snacks; and sweet confections that were canned or baked. As we grew, so did the trees.
When my daughter was younger, we became members of the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Our summers were spent under the shade trees beside Meadow Lake. It was there that we played cards; drew pictures; ate picnic lunches, and escaped the noise of the world.
May this Arbor Day bring your family back to the forest.
—-Jenn 🌳
Literature for Young Sapling 🌱
Literature for Mature Trees 🌳
Resources
Tuesday, April 9, 2024 – National Unicorn Day
Breaking News…there was a rare unicorn sighting early this morning. If you were driving to work and witnessed this magical event, rest assured you were not alone. Thelma the Unicorn once again joined me in the carpool lane. We journeyed to the magical Land of Wonder & Academia. Truly the absolute best part of teaching is the unique holidays that make us giggle and take pause. Today, we explored these mystical creatures. How could I not share my Scottish heritage with my scholars?
Fun Fact: Scotland’s National Animal is the Unicorn.
Literature
May this curated list bring you joy, wonder and dreams of glittering unicorns.
**Please note: At this time, I am not affiliated with the bookshop links above (wink, wink I would love the opportunity). Direct links are included for your convenience.
The 38th Annual Scottish Festival & Highland Games
WHEN
June 14-15, 2024
Friday: 1:00pm-10:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am-10:00pm
WHERE (New location this year.)
DuPage County Fairgrounds
2015 Manchester Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
March 13, 2024
Registration is open for Tuesday, May 7 at 4:30pm at the Downers Grove shop and virtually on Sunday, May 5 at 6:30pm via Zoom.
Sunday, February 18, 2024
On the way to the theatre, we took a detour and stumbled across a charming independent bookshop. Opening the door was a magical experience. It was as though we fell down a rabbit hole with Alice. The aisles were narrow and the shelves were never ending. As I scanned the titles, there was a sense of familiarity. There were new and gently beloved copies of every genre imaginable. While strolling up and down the aisles, you could hear the rattling of the L. It was then that I realized I was home.
Open Books also had an amazing children’s literature section. There were nooks and crannies with comfortable seating and a reading stage. Sadly, our visit would be cut short. We had theatre tickets and needed to scurry. I look forward to returning to Open Books in the near future.
A heartfelt thank you to Open Books for providing a respite from technology and a peaceful safe haven from the noise of the world.
—Jenn
Open Books
651 W. Lake St.
Chicago, IL 60661
Hours:
10:30am-6pm Monday through Thursday
11:30am-7pm Friday through Sunday
Anderson’s Bookshop has announced an Educator Book Club!
Dearest Readers,
I am beyond thrilled to share that Anderson’s Bookshop has announced an Educator Book Club beginning in January 2024 with CPDUs available for all that participate!!!
Eeeek!
The first Educator Book Club title is Joanne Rossmassler Fritz’s Ruptured! Beginning in January 2024, the book club will meet in-person on the first Tuesday of every other month, and virtually via Zoom on the first Sunday of every other month.
Order and read more about the book, see book club meeting dates and locations, and RSVP by clicking the button!
See you on Zoom!
—Jenn
December 29, 2023
Armed with coffee, road trip snacks and an eclectic Spotify playlist we began 2023 traveling the midwest in search of Indie Bookshops. Most of our destinations were day trips excluding The Drama Book Shop in New York. Each bookshop was welcoming and offered a carefully curated selection of literature, author events, and sometimes coffee. For your next Indie Bookshop adventure, please consider visiting the following bookshops. They will graciously welcome and assist in securing your next read and/or addition to your TBR.
—-Jenn
**Please note: At this time, I am not affiliated with the bookshops linked above (wink, wink I would love the opportunity). Direct links are included for your convenience.
*Please include Bookshop Name & Location.
December 11, 2023
Merry Christmas Dearest Readers.
Christmas lights sparkle and shine. Strangers exchange smiles and warm greetings. Music rings out with hope and joy. Snow blankets our town. Well, maybe not yet, but I can smell it. It’s coming. Our small village celebrates with festive lights; a skating rink; and jolly festivities on the weekend. Next to the village hall, Santa greets visitors with a sparkle in his eyes. When you see him, remember to make a Christmas wish. Do you still believe in Christmas magic? I do.
Cozy up with some cocoa and a relaxing read. I compiled a morsel of my favorite Christmas reads. Jan Brett, Matt Tavares and Charles Dickens are near to my heart and hold fond memories of Christmas past.
Merry Christmas and Warmest Wishes for the New Year.
—-Jenn 🎅🏼
**Please note: At this time, I am not affiliated with the bookshop linked above (wink, wink I would love the opportunity). Direct links are included for your convenience.
Monday, November 6
It’s a big week for books!
Anderson’s Bookshop has arranged for two of my favorite authors to chat about their new book releases on Tuesday, November 14 and Thursday, November 16.
Click on the links provided below to secure a book and a place in the signing line.
Anderson’s Bookshop – Matt Tavares Tuesday, November 14
Anderson’s Bookshop – Andrea Beaty Thursday, November 16
conversations-over-coffee.blog 