Meet Julie
Julie is an early childhood consultant with a passion for early literacy and children’s literature. She has partnered with us to provide curated lists of books that will support early childhood providers and educators in selecting high-quality books. Her recommendations are themed and come with fun ideas, questions, and additional resources to support your integration of literature in your setting.
You can find her booklists at the PLC Children’s Booklists, under our Resource Library tab.
Be sure to find her podcast episode on Voices of the Village (Season 3, Episode 5)
“Listen to the rain, the whisper of the rain, the slow, soft sprinkle, the drip-drop tinkle, the first wet whisper of the rain. “
As a child, I lived in the Pacific Northwest in a house at the edge of a wooded space. There were trees all around us, and water was everywhere. In my raincoat, hat, and boots, the weather was not a deterrent but rather an invitation. I had an outdoor mud kitchen on the patio where I played in all kinds of weather. When the light attracted bugs at night, frogs would gather near the sliding glass door and sing! There was a streetlight in front of my house, and when it was dark enough for the light to come on, the rain fell as if under a spotlight. I remember standing under it and watching the raindrops, closing my eyes, and letting it fall on my face. Our neighborhood was quiet enough to hear all the sounds and moods of rain, and when the rain clouds lifted, we could see Mount Rainier.
In college at the University of Wyoming, I loved my education classes, especially those focused on teaching reading. I couldn’t wait to build a library of children’s books, but as is often the case in college, I had limited resources. In class one day, I heard Listen to the Rain by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault with beautiful artwork by James Endicott. Surrounded by howling winter winds and below-zero temperatures, I could feel the raindrops on my face and the misty, blustery rain near the ocean through the lyrical text and beautiful artwork. As the reader finished, I could feel the rainstorm's end and the quiet, steady dripping of the raindrops as they fell from the trees and off the house. Listen to the Rain was the first book I purchased as a teacher, and it is sitting beside me as I write this. Creating powerful connections between children and books encourages a love of reading, which is foundational to children’s literacy development.
When I started teaching, I built a library of children’s books, beginning with books I loved to read aloud. We do read our favorites with great enthusiasm! Next, I searched booklists and the library to find titles connected to topics of study and the interests, experiences, culture, and languages of the children and families in our classroom community. As you look for new titles to support literacy in your early childhood space, a great resource is the new Booklist section on the PLC website! Here, you will find books on a variety of topics. Each list includes new titles like Let Me Tell You About My Mom by Wyoming author Casey Rislov, who, together with Ron Hayes, created a beautiful picture book about animal babies and their mammas! There are also classic titles that everyone loves, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle or The Mitten by Jan Brett! Titles are chosen based on reviews from professional early childhood organizations, educators in Wyoming, PLC Learning Specialists, and books I have shared with children and families throughout my career. Each list also includes suggestions for creating opportunities to extend children’s curiosity and learning.
I look forward to meeting with you through the booklists, blog posts, and professional learning opportunities as we create a community of support for young children and literacy in Wyoming.
Julie
