Nonfiction Notebooks by Aimee Buckner

When the doorbell rang a few days ago, I rushed to see who it was.  Visitors coming to my door just doesn't happen that often.  I was so excited to see that it was a box from Stenhouse Publishers.  That meant a book that I had ordered was here.  Yes, I know I am retired and should NOT be ordering professional books any more.  But this one was different.

This one was by a personal favorite author.  I just love how Aimee Buckner writes. She makes things so easy to understand. It is like she is sitting there just talking to you. It doesn't hurt that I have had the chance to meet Aimee and that we have a friend in common. Her former principal is Mary Baldwin. I met Mary many years ago in NYC. We connected immediately.  She is from Atlanta, Georgia and runs in the Peachtree race like I do.  She even allowed me to visit her school one summer when I was in Atlanta to run. That was the year Aimee was coming to teach fourth grade. The next year, Aimee came to our All Write Institute and spoke and I had the privilege of introducing her.

Many classrooms start out the year launching their writer's workshop with the notebook. Using the writer's notebook for narrative writing seems to be an easy way to start. However, many times the notebook then gets left behind as various genres are introduced. That is where this book comes in. Nonfiction Notebooks Strategies for Informational Writing is just what teachers need to continue to work with notebooks.

Aimee's book helps teachers  see how they can use the notebook to help with those genres that the CCSS address: opinion/argument; informational; and narrative. Aimee shows how the prewriting work a student does is particularly important when writing informational pieces.  This book takes teachers step-by-step through the process of how best to use notebooks for informational writing.

Even though I am now retired and not really connected to any certain grade, school or district, I am still excited about what I am reading in this book.  Like a friend of mine says, "You will never really stop being a teacher!"  I guess that's true. So, hop on the Stenhouse website and check out this book. I think it is just what you have been looking for!