April Jones Prince, Children's Book Author
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    • Snowy Race
    • 101 Trucks
    • Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates
    • 101 Dinosaurs
    • What Do Wheels Do All Day?
    • Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing
    • Who Was Mark Twain?
    • Who Was Frederick Douglass?
    • Jackie Robinson: He Led the Way
    • Dig In!
    • Dive In!
    • Valentine Friends
    • Meet Our Flag, Old Glory
  • Virtual Visits
    • You Are a Juicy Writer
    • From Idea to Picture Book
    • Writing a Brilliant Biography
    • Landlubbers' Literacy Night
    • Free Virtual Mini-Visits >
      • Free Virtual Visit Inquiry
    • + Online Read-Alouds
  • In-Person Visits
    • Working With Wheels
    • From Idea to Picture Book >
      • From Idea to Picture Book-Historical Fiction version
      • From Idea to Picture Book-Fractured Fairy Tale version
    • Writing a Brilliant Biography
    • What Happens When You Wonder 'What If...?'
    • Ideas! Words! Action!
    • Write What You Know
    • Be a Detail Detective
    • Share Your Story
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Thanks for your interest in using my books in the classroom!
Scroll down for ideas about specific titles...

👉 You can also click here for my online read-alouds  👈

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❄️ If you prefer art, try crafting collage snow plows with paint, construction paper, and part of a toilet paper tube. This adorable idea is courtesy of Reading Confetti, and although it mentions boys, this activity is definitely for all genders(!). 
❄️I love this Snowstorm in a Jar STEM activity, courtesy of Little Bins for Little Hands. All you need is a jar or vase, water, white washable paint (or any color you choose), cooking oil, and Alka-Seltzer tablets. Check out what it does below! You can keep feeding it Alka-Seltzer periodically, allowing many children to actively participate while everyone enjoys the show. 👇
❄️Making "Snow Dough" is an easy and rewarding sensory activity. It's so much fun to play with! Just mix roughly equal parts hand lotion (white is preferable—once I accidentally bought cocoa butter) and corn starch. Add glitter and/or peppermint oil if desired, and/or put the ingredients in the fridge for extra chilly wintry fun. Some recipes call for shaving cream instead of lotion, but I find the lotion makes better "snowballs." ​Add vehicle toys and make your own snowy race!

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🏴‍☠️Writing can be hard work, but it can also be fun! And who doesn't love a treasure map?! Encourage students to play with language in this juicy activity, Spicing Up Your Stories With Similes. Students will learn what a simile is and why writers use them. Then they'll brainstorm similes of their own and complete a treasure map tale based on Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates. This activity supports Common Core Reading Literature Standard 4 and Language Standard 5.

🏴‍☠️Are your students clever with characters or setting but puzzled by plot? Have them Fabricate a Fractured Fairy Tale! This introduction and organizer takes young writers through the process I used to plan Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates, and then sets them up to write their own fractured fairy tale. This activity supports Common Core Writing Standard 3.

🏴‍☠️If you're celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19!), here's a terrific, varied list of activity and lesson ideas, courtesy of the International Literacy Association.

🏴‍☠️And if you're looking for some Summer Reading inspiration​, click here to download Goldenlocks' Swashbuckling Summer Reading BINGO!  


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🐘The leadership at PS 154 in Queens developed this fantastic Common Core guide to using Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing in the classroom (grades preK-5) as part of their Book of the Month Club. Check out the book club here and scroll down to April 2014.

🐘Click through for a blog post from ReadWriteThink featuring classroom activities, resources, and lesson plans comparing my Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing and Phil Bildner's Twenty-One Elephants.

🐘The University of Dayton created a comprehensive STEM + ELA lesson plan focused around the Engineering Design Process. Aimed at grade 3, it can also be used for older grades.

🐘Here's a terrific interactive read-aloud template prepared by the Santa Rosa, Florida, school district.

🐘Many thanks to Christine Sugrue at Time Travel Kids NYC for this fun and engaging read-aloud + field trip activity. Also find it here by scrolling down to Transportation.

🐘And for younger kids, here
's a fun STEM/Engineering challenge from Playground Parkbench. Can YOU build a bridge for 21 elephants? The Twitter hashtags #twentyoneelephantsandstillstanding and #twentyoneelephants show ways other educators have challenged students to build bridges as well. Have fun!


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🚙Check out this Physical Science Teacher's Guide prepared by the Florida Museum of Natural History. What Do Wheels Do All Day? is featured on pages 14-17, and the whole guide has fun STEM activities for the classroom.

🚙Download this wheels-related preschool lesson plan developed
by the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation and featuring
What Do Wheels Do All Day?.


🚙And here are more fun ideas for using What Do Wheels Do All Day?, courtesy of Kate Narita’s excellent blog, Classroom Book of the Week! 


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🚧Download these Literacy Extensions for fun ways to use and build upon Dig In!

🚧Check out this Lego DUPLO reading and activity guide for more literacy extensions, including directions for how to build a Lego pizza! 


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📝Download Pengin's 
Who Was...? guide to Common Core lesson plans for books in the series about famous writers.

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📝Download Pengin's ​
Who Was...? guide to Common Core lesson plans for books in the series about famous African Americans.

📝​Go to Penguin's WhoHQ web site for activity sheets, pop quizzes, a series adventure app, and more!

👇 Bonus section: Bookmaking Bonanza! 👇

For graphic instructions on making these books, check out author/illustrator Lauren Stringer's helpful directions.
For a photographic step-by-step tutorial on making accordion books, check out this post on Brightly. 
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  • Home
  • Books
    • Snowy Race
    • 101 Trucks
    • Goldenlocks and the Three Pirates
    • 101 Dinosaurs
    • What Do Wheels Do All Day?
    • Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing
    • Who Was Mark Twain?
    • Who Was Frederick Douglass?
    • Jackie Robinson: He Led the Way
    • Dig In!
    • Dive In!
    • Valentine Friends
    • Meet Our Flag, Old Glory
  • Virtual Visits
    • You Are a Juicy Writer
    • From Idea to Picture Book
    • Writing a Brilliant Biography
    • Landlubbers' Literacy Night
    • Free Virtual Mini-Visits >
      • Free Virtual Visit Inquiry
    • + Online Read-Alouds
  • In-Person Visits
    • Working With Wheels
    • From Idea to Picture Book >
      • From Idea to Picture Book-Historical Fiction version
      • From Idea to Picture Book-Fractured Fairy Tale version
    • Writing a Brilliant Biography
    • What Happens When You Wonder 'What If...?'
    • Ideas! Words! Action!
    • Write What You Know
    • Be a Detail Detective
    • Share Your Story
  • For Teachers
  • For Kids
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact