Teacher's Pet: Supplemental Guides Get Your Book Chosen

 by Louise M. Aamodt, M.Ed.

Authors love getting their books into classrooms. Teachers love quality materials that make their jobs easier. You can bridge this connection by creating free, downloadable materials to go with your book. 

Supplemental materials give your book an edge by helping teachers justify using your book in class. The materials connect kids more deeply to the concepts. They’re fun! And you, yes YOU, are totally capable of creating them. No need to hire someone, or languish away wishing your publisher would help. You don’t need to be an expert, a teacher, or a graphic designer. You just need to START. 

Think about your book’s content and mood. What do you want kids to learn, discover, or investigate? Which kinds of activities would best support that outcome? Here are some ideas:

• Character analysis

• Classifying

• Family/home connections

• Fiction vs. nonfiction, or genre study

• Jokes and riddles 

• Letter-writing

• Main idea and details

• Making inferences

• Memory game cards

• Music 

• Recipes

• Recommended reading

• Scavenger hunt 

• Sequence of events

• Summarizing

• Vocabulary study

• Websites for kids

• Word scramble

Let’s dive deeper by examining specific examples. 

Poke around the websites below. Look for buttons or pull-downs called ‘Free Downloads,’ ‘Educator Resources,’ ‘Curriculum Guide,’ ‘Activity Guide,’ etc. DO NOT COPY, obviously, but get inspired. Rabbit hole warning: This list is extensive, so start by exploring activities that would best fit your book. For the sake of word count, I’ve omitted subtitles and illustrator names, but illustrators, we see you!

• Art: Eileen R. Meyer’s “Design a Stovepipe Hat” for THE SUPERLATIVE A. LINCOLN

• Board game: Stephanie Gibeault’s THE DOG WHO SAVED THE BEES

• Bookmarks: Carrie Tillotson’s ALPACAS HERE, ALPACAS THERE

• Cause-effect: Jill Esbaum’s IT’S CORN PICKING TIME

• Charades: My “Verb Charades” for A FOREST BEGINS ANEW

• Coloring: Sarah Nelson’s FOLLOW THE FLYWAY  

• Crafts: Kirsten Pendreigh’s “Make Your Own Sea-Flake” for WHAT FISH ARE SAYING

• Crossword puzzle: Sue Heavenrich’s 13 WAYS TO EAT A FLY

• Discussion questions: Patricia Hruby Powell’s LIFT AS YOU CLIMB

• Educational standards: They can be a simple list, like for Sandhya Acharya’s LIVING BRIDGES, or complex like for Leslie Bulion’s LEAF LITTER CRITTERS.

• Experiments: Alisha Gabriel’s “Observing How Yeast Makes Bread Rise” for FUNGI ARE… MORE THAN MUSHROOMS 

• Labeling parts: Lisa Kahn Schnell’s HIGH TIDE FOR HORSESHOE CRABS

• Matching: Tanya Konerman’s MUD TO THE RESCUE

• Math, patterns: Annette Whipple’s WHOOO KNEW? THE TRUTH ABOUT OWLS 

• Math, word problems: Melissa Stewart’s NO MONKEYS, NO CHOCOLATE 

• Movement: Molly Beth Griffin’s yoga and stretching for RINGS OF HEARTWOOD 

• Poetry template: Rebecca Hirsch’s WONDER WINGS

• Predictions: Megan Clendenan’s “Predictions and Surprises” for JUST IN CASE

• Pronunciation videos: Teresa Robeson’s TWO BICYCLES IN BEIJING 

• Science: Laura Purdie Salas’s “Thunderstorm Life Cycle” for ZAP! CLAP! BOOM! 

• Social-emotional learning (SEL): Jessica Stremer’s LIGHTS OUT 

• Social studies, map: Amanda Davis’s “Map the Flag’s Travels” for 30,000 STITCHES

• Social studies, timeline: Vivian Kirkfield’s ONE GIRL’S VOICE 

• STEM: Leslie Barnard Booth’s “Crow’s Nest Design Challenge” for I AM WE

• Word find: Carrie A. Pearson’s VIRGINIA WOULDN’T SLOW DOWN!

Finally, coming from a teacher who selectively chooses which books to use in my classroom, here are some tips to help your book survive the cut: 

• Be handy, not fancy. Make your material easy to print out and use right away. 

• Keep it black and white. Few schools give teachers color printing access. 

• Touch on a variety of disciplines, such as math, art, writing, reading, vocabulary, science, social-emotional, social studies, etc. This helps an over-scheduled teacher find a spot during the day to dive deeper into your book. 

• Vary the brain power required. Offer some easier options such as mazes, word finds, or art. Offer some harder options such as main idea/detail, character analysis, or writing prompts.

• Provide the same activity in various levels of difficulty (see my “Mazes” example). Don’t get bogged down in specifying what age or grade level each is for; teachers will know what works best for their students. 

• I’ll probably take some heat for saying this, but if you’re uncomfortable figuring out the educational standards to go with your materials, skip them. Teachers will know. Don’t let correlating standards stop you from getting started. Let it go. 

• Add a QR code to printables with “Click here to visit the author’s website.” It’s free advertising when kids take the sheets home. 

Remember, you can do hard things. If you can write a book, you can write supplemental materials. Don’t let perfectionism or imposter syndrome paralyze you. 

Give it a try! 

About the Author: Louise M. Aamodt (rhymes with 'comet') has taught English Learners in public schools for over 25 years. As both a writer and a teacher, she loves sparking curiosity and making complicated concepts accessible. You can find her in the kids’ section of the library, or out watching bugs somewhere. Her picture book, A Forest Begins Anew, illustrated by Elly MacKay, debuts in May 2026 from Astra Young Readers. Learn more at http://www.LouiseAamodt.com, or follow on social media (FB @LouiseAamodtAuthor, Bluesky @LouiseMAamodt.bsky.social, or X @LouiseMAamodt).

Writing for the School Library Market

By Sue Bradford Edwards

Nonfiction writers create many types of work.  I’ve written activities for preschoolers and how-to articles for my fellow writers.  Still other writers create lesson plans, picture book biographies, and encyclopedias.  Each type of nonfiction writing requires a different skill set.  

My current focus is writing for the school library market.  Maybe this is something that would be a good fit for you.

 Diverse Interests

First things first, it is a huge help if you have a wide range of interests. My first book for this market was about the ancient Maya.  I’ve also written about puggles, Ariana Grande, cancel culture, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  

When my editors contact me with the newest list of subjects, I have an easy time making one or more selections. That’s because I’m interested in so many things. I'm interested in history and anthropology, biological sciences and current events. Textile history fascinates me.  I knit, crochet, weave, and embroider.  I am about to sign up for a programming class. 

My interests and educational background have helped me explain evolution, what a drainage system is, how fracking works, and how a vaccine gives you immunity. If your interests are widespread, this field might be a good match for you.

Keen on Research

You also must love research to take on these types of books.  Periodically, an editor will suggest a resource they want me to use, but I generally find all research materials on my own.  

The types of sources I use vary by topic. When I wrote about The Who, most of my sources were published books. I pulled in books from university libraries throughout my area and also made a trip to Half Price books.  

Researching Food in Space, I combed through a variety of NASA materials. I dug through NASA’s online archives.  I read government reports. I sought out industry interviews with food scientists.

During the COVID pandemic, I wrote a book on the topic. This meant that right up until publication I was using medical sources and statistical data to update the text. If you are someone who loves to look things up, this type of writing might be for you.

Fast Drafting

Can you write over a thousand words a day? From the time I am assigned a book until I have to turn in the full manuscript can be anywhere from six weeks to three months. Often, I only have six weeks. Many of the books are 15,000 words long. This means I can’t wait for my muse to pay me a visit.

After my outline and sample chapter are approved, I get to work on the full draft. At that point, I may only have three weeks to write the full book. When I know where I am going with a chapter, I can usually write 1600 to 1800 words comfortably in one day. I don’t do this every day, but I can do it for about a week. After I revise the manuscript and take it to the right reading level, I hand it off to my editor.  Are you also a fast writer? 

A Willing Team Member

Although you will write on your own, you are also part of a team. Because these books appear in series, I am one of several authors.  

Sometimes I've had amazing ideas for book sections, but I've had to cut those ideas from my finished book.  Why?  Because the idea fit better in someone else’s title in the series.  Sometimes your book will be the one that has to make way. Other times your description of a process will be mined for use in other books in the same series. That’s what happened when I explained the process of evolution.  

Writing for the school library market, you often work with content experts and multiple editors on each book. This means that you must reconcile the comments and concerns of several different people. Finding a solution may be tricky, but I love watching my books take shape and knowing that in less than 18 months many of my books will be in the hands of teachers, librarians, and students throughout the United States.  It’s a great field if you are interested. 

Sue Bradford Edwards is a nonfiction author who lives in the St. Louis area. She has written over 80 books for the school library market. When she called her mother to say she wanted to write for children, she could actually hear her mother shrug over the phone.  “It’s about time you figured it out.” When her family travels, they look for historic sites and natural wonders. Absolutely nothing beats an alpine desert.  

Subscribe to Sue's newsletter here for a free copy of her book, What to do When Your Book Is Banned.

The IT factor in Picture Books

By Joyce P. Uglow

It is well known that nonfiction picture books play a big role in supporting students’ development of scientific literacies and cultivates critical reading skills. NF PBs possess the IT Factor! Case in point, “Nonfiction Picturebook Reading in Early and Elementary Education: A PRISMA-P Systematic Review” in ILA’s December 9, 2025 Reading Research Quarterly, points out the importance of NF PBs. Diana Muela-Bermejo and Rosa Tabernero-Sala stated that children who have limited exposure to NF PB tend to exhibit lower reading comprehension skills. Furthermore, it has been said that nonfiction awakens curiosity, fosters a desire to learn, and inspires a sense of wonder. NCTE’s position statement on the role of NF for K-12 students states nonfiction is a “deeply enriching aesthetic experience.”  

The IT Factor in NF PB awakens curiosity and fosters a desire to learn. 

Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Vault by Megan Clendenan, illustrated by Brittany Cicchese, published by Charlesbridge on October 14, 2025, received the 2026 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children.

I love the engaging organization, rich language, and intrigue in Just in Case! This book is a wonderful example of how an author’s curiosity about a relatively unknown topic prompted further research. Megan Clendenan heard about the seed vault, went on to discover more, and found the right words, the IT Factor, to awaken curiosity on the topic for kids. Books like this inspire kids and foster a desire to learn more on their own. In addition to the gorgeous illustrations, I noticed how the ingenious fact box headings drew my attention to the not-to-be-missed information. Equally brilliant is the use of the engaging title in a refrain. 

The IT Factor in NF PB inspires a sense of wonder. 

There is real magic in Julie Winterbottom and Susan Reagan’s Magic in a Drop of Water: How Ruth Patrick Taught the World About Water Pollution, published by Rocky Pond Books on March 25, 2025. It earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly! 

Julie’s fabulous first line delivers the IT factor right out of the gate. “When Ruth was five years old, she fell in love with pond scum.” What? Pond scum?! I was hooked immediately, engaged from the first to the last line. In Julie Winterbottom’s words on uGROnews Creative Point of View about Magic in a Drop of Water, she said, “I think it helped that I chose a subject that I felt very passionate about so that I could keep going when the research and writing was challenging.” 

 

The IT factor in NF PBs… not everything makes it into the book.  

As nonfiction writers do, I unearthed a plethora of facts during my research for STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits, published by Bushel and Peck Books, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova. I decided it best to focus and stick with a predator–prey fray to tell the origin story of La Brea. The handful of those featured extinct species allowed me to include info about the Ice Age ecosystem and lead kids to dig deeper into the topic. I left other tidbits to uncover in book talks, educational resources, and school visits. (BTW… Adults and kids are intrigued and utterly surprised that no dinosaurs got stuck at La Brea.)

 

Here is my 2026 IT Factor challenge for you and me:

• Focus on a first line that hooks the reader.
• Choose surprising research tidbits that spark imagination and inspire readers to ask questions. 
• Plant curiosity.
• Use intriguing text features.
• Follow up with amazing back matter. 
• Let your passion for the topic seep into the narrative.
• Enjoy finding the IT Factor for your next books!

 

 

About the Author: Joyce P. Uglow writes poetry and lyrical picture books about nature, science, and our planet. She is the NSTA / CBC 2026 Outstanding Science Trade Books award-winning author of STUCK! The Story of La Brea Tar Pits (2025 Bushel & Peck Books). Joyce currently serves as the Co-Regional Advisor for SCBWI Wisconsin and a Mighty Kidlit mentor. She loves family gatherings, gardening, and exploring National Parks, the world’s mountains, rocks and water with her husband, Larry. Visit Joyce’s website to learn more.

 

How to Write Picture Books Inspired by Headlines

By Nancy Churnin 

Have you ever considered writing a book inspired by a newspaper article?

My newest book, The Miracle Menorah of Mariupol, which comes out Sept. 1 with illustrations by Marissa Moss, was inspired by an article that moved me with its message of hope in a time of war and despair.

There are challenging aspects to working from contemporary story. The first is checking the veracity of the story – not something you could ever assume and especially not now at a time when AI is increasingly common. The second is making sure the book reads like a picture book and not another version of the article. Finally, are you writing something that will stand the test of time – something a newspaper article does not need to do, but a book does? After all, the article runs for a day. Your book will not come out for a couple of years after it sells, and the hope is that it will continue to be read long beyond that.

 

The Miracle Menorah of Mariupol is not the first time I have drawn stories from headlines. Two other books about contemporary stories that I discovered through articles: Manjhi Moves a Mountain, the story of a man who spent 22 years chiseling a path through a mountain so the people in his poor village could get access to schools, medical help, and work on the other side and Rainbow Allies, the story of a community of kids who found a beautiful way to show love and support to a couple that came home to find their home egged and their pride flag torn down.

 

Here are the steps I took: 

1. Make sure you have the facts. Look for primary and secondary sources. For both The Miracle Menorah of Mariupol and Rainbow Allies, I interviewed people who were there and wrote the story with their support and encouragement. With Manjhi Moves a Mountain, I did extensive research and interviewed a professor at Southern Methodist University who traveled to India frequently with her students and knew the facts and the area well.

    

2. Make sure your book reads like a book. As a longtime journalist, I know how to write a newspaper article quickly. I also know one of the primary rules is to show and not tell and keep a professional emotional distance. In picture books, you also show, don’t tell, but you need to know the thoughts and feelings of your subject and reveal them through the slice of the journey that you are telling. In journalism, your story needs to be relevant to the day it is published. In picture books, you must think in global and eternal terms of what your story means. The Miracle Menorah of Mariupol is about a caretaker of a synagogue destroyed by war who decides to light candles in the community menorah he discovers miraculously intact in the rubble. The lighting of the candles helps unite the hearts of a dispersed community with hope for when they will celebrate together again. 

    

3. Are you writing something that will stand the test of time? To bring the message of The Miracle Menorah of Mariupol home, I alternated the contemporary story with the first Hanukkah when people decided to light a menorah found in the Great Temple of Jerusalem that had been damaged by occupation and war. I decided if people have been telling the Hanukkah story for 2,000 years, maybe The Miracle Menorah of Mariupol might be able to tag along for a while, too.

The Miracle Menorah of Mariupol, illustrated by Marissa Moss, releases Sept. 1 from Creston Books.

About the author: Nancy Churnin is an award-winning author who writes children's books about people (and animals!) who have made a positive difference in the world. Her books have won the National Jewish Book Award, South Asia Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor and Notables, Grinspoon Jewish Story Award and been picked for Junior Library Guild, Silver Eurekas, National Council for the Social Studies Trade Book Notables, Bank Street College of Education Best Books, A Mighty girl, and multiple state lists, including the Texas 2X2 and California Reads, and have received starred reviews. A former journalist and proud daughter of a retired teacher, Nancy loves visiting schools and encouraging kids to follow the dreams that can make them heroes of their own stories. Find her, along with resources, teachers guides, and projects at www.nancychurnin.com.

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