Fralick Teaching Materials Center

"Peace has come at last to the great Bunny Kingdom! 🐇 Lead your clan of rabbits to glory by gathering resources and building new cities across the land! Draft cards and pick the right ones to position your warrens on the 100 squares of the board, provide resources to your colonies, build new cities to increase your influence, and plan your strategy to score big at the end of the game... After each turn, your groups of contiguous warrens grant you points depending on the cities and different resources they include. The game ends after 4 rounds, and the player with the most points wins the game" (Source: Board Game Geek).

Bunny Kingdom is intended for 2-4 players and ideal for ages 12 and up. It takes about 40-60 minutes of play.

The impactful lesson in The Lorax by Dr. Seuss resonates with readers of all ages. Come on over to the Fralick TMC, where you can venture even further beyond that beloved book for some extras to pair with it! These less-known but wonderfully written additional titles also include messages about environmentalism and caring for the Earth, and include diverse cultural themes as well:

My friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan

Walking Together by Albert D. Marshall

Forest Fighter by Anita Ganeri

Roll the dice and see where they fall with this die cut. This dice is perfect if you're crafting your own game... Just cut it out and then fold it up... As an added bonus, there are even numbers and dots that you can attach to it when you're done. Get creative and try out a few different colors! You can find this Ellison Die in the Inspiration Station.

"Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. Collect color sets of train cards, claim routes to expand your network and connect cities to complete your tickets!" (Source: Publisher).

All aboard for a 30-60 minute experience!! This game is ideal for 2-5 players, and recommended for ages 8 and up.

"I think I can... I think I can..." Who doesn't know that famous quote from The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper? A time-honored classic that's on many children's shelves, this book is paired in our "Turn the Page" feature with several other books from the Fralick TMC on the same theme of determination. From Latino to Korean to Indian to Chinese, many cultures have stories about perseverance and overcoming BIG obstacles... no matter how small you are:

Big Enough by Regina Linke

The Littlest Grito by Nicholas Solis

Manjhi Moves a Mountain by Nancy Churnin

Noah Webster's Fighting Words by Tracy Nelson Maurer tells a biographical story in a very unique way. Regular narrative text tells the life story of the famous dictionary creator... but there are also factual sections seemingly "penciled in", and graphic novel-style speech bubbles spread throughout the pages of this book. The really fun hybrid twist is in those informational parts, which are actually written in the voice of Noah Webster himself!! This creative biography can be located on the Nonfiction+ shelves in the Fralick TMC.

All hail to the royal family! 👑🦄 This four-puppet set includes a king, queen, knight, and unicorn, and is perfect for a fantastic fairy tale puppet show. Come on by to the TMC and check out a book to pair with them! Some ideas include:

The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived by Daniel Errico

Do you Believe in Unicorns? by Bethanie Murguia

The Snow Queen and the Goblin King by Martha Bennett

"Introduced by the Moors, azulejos (originally white and blue ceramic tiles) were fully embraced by the Portuguese when their king Manuel I, on a visit to the Alhambra palace in Southern Spain, was mesmerized by the stunning beauty of the Moorish decorative tiles. The king, awestruck by the interior beauty of the Alhambra, immediately ordered that his own palace in Portugal be decorated with similar wall tiles. As a tile-laying artist, you have been challenged to embellish the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora.

In the game Azul, players take turns drafting colored tiles from suppliers to their player board. Later in the round, players score points based on how they've placed their tiles to decorate the palace. Extra points are scored for specific patterns and completing sets; wasted supplies harm the player's score. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins" (source: board game geek).

This game has a lot of fascinating history, and can be played by 2-4 players for about 30-45 minutes. It's perfect for ages 8+!

Many a child has been soothed to sleep by the gentle story of Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. The Fralick TMC has a wide variety of additional bedtime tales to pick from, many featuring diverse characters or cultures. Drift off to dreamland with some unique titles, such as:

This Land Is a Lullaby by Tonya Simpson

Goodnight Ganesha by Nadia Salomon

Bedtime Bonnet by Nancy Redd

The Caldecott-winning book Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin is the perfect hybrid text to read on a cold winter's day. The biographical story unfolds in a narrative style, while extra text on the side captures interesting facts about Wilson Bentley's life, as well as further material relating to his research.

"Wilson Bentley was always fascinated by snow. In childhood and adulthood, he saw each tiny crystal of a snowflake as a little miracle and wanted to understand them.

His parents supported his curiosity and saved until they could give him his own camera and microscope. At the time, his enthusiasm was misunderstood. But with patience and determination, Wilson catalogued hundreds of snowflake photographs, gave slideshows of his findings and, when he was 66, published a book of his photos. His work became the basis for all we know about beautiful, unique snowflakes today. 

This biographical tribute to a very special farmer is the perfect holiday gift or snow day read." (Book Description).

"Astronauts wanted! The scientific community is abuzz over signs of a mysterious planet located at the edge of our solar system. But despite all of their efforts, so far they have been unable to provide substantial evidence of its existence. Join this exciting space adventure to find out if the theories are just science fiction or if you will discover Planet Nine. In this cooperative trick-taking card game, you need to complete 50 different missions as you travel across the solar system. But you will only succeed if you can work together as a team. To master the challenges and achieve your mission, communication will be essential — but in space, things can be more challenging than expected. It’s not just who wins the hand but also how the hand is won that makes all the difference." (Source: publisher).

The Crew is intended for ages 10+, 3-5 players, and takes about 20 minutes of playtime.

Everyone knows the silly story of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. A favorite for storytime, this book is perfect to show cause and effect, and to get students making predictions. Veer off the usual path with some additional titles from the TMC to enhance your classroom. Many of these selections have diverse themes, and also show how one occurrence can lead to one thing... and another... and ANOTHER:

Farmer’s Wife by Idries Shah

Because of an Acorn by Lola M Schaefer

Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Anne Wynter

Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock invites readers to discover the life of a Founding Father and learn how his passion for books helped shape the Library of Congress. Narrative text brings Thomas Jefferson's story to life, while various book illustrations set throughout the pages include snippets of information and quotes. There are even occasional graphic novel elements such as speech bubbles. It's a great example of a hybrid text, and you can find it on the Nonfiction+ shelves in the TMC!