Toni Buzzeo

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Fire Up with Reading!

Toni Buzzeo was born in Dearborn, Michigan, and lived there until she moved to Maine at the age of twenty-seven to live in a colonial farmhouse on thirty five acres of an old farm. As a child and teen in Dearborn, she read voluminous piles of books from the public library to herself and to her brothers and sisters. It’s no wonder that her first job was as a page at the main library downtown.

As a teen, Toni spent hours at the kitchen table copying her favorite poems into spiral-bound notebooks. She credits the reading and studying of these poems with teaching her the intricacies of writing. At age 18, while attending college at night, she took a full-time job as a library clerk and then held successively more professional jobs at various public libraries until she earned her masters in library and information science and began her career as a school library media specialist for which she earned the 1999 Maine Library Media Specialist of the Year award. In addition, she began to write seriously for children in 1995 and after writing and submitting her work to editors for five years, landed her first book contract in 2000.

In that same year, Toni received SCBWI's Barbara Karlin Grant for the manuscript of The Sea Chest, which became her first published book in 2002. Published by Dial Books and illustrated by Mary GrandPré, it won the 2002 Lupine Award and the 2005 Crown Gallery Award. Her Dawdle Duckling series is popular with children everywhere, and Little Loon and Papa has a special meaning for those who hear the mysterious music of the loons. Her TWO most recent picture books, Our Librarian Won’t Tell Us ANYTHING! and Fire Up With Reading!, draw on her years of personal experience as a wiley and cool school librarian.

Toni is also the author of a number of books for reading and library professionals including: Toni Buzzeo and YOU, Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers (co-authored with Jane Kurtz), 35 Best Books for Teaching U.S. Regions, and three books on Collaborating to Meet Standards, which model teacher and librarian partnerships.

When she is not traveling all over the country, visiting schools, speaking at conferences, and offering district trainings in collaboration, Toni lives with her husband Ken in that old farmhouse in Maine. Their son Topher lives nearby in Somerset, Massachusetts and is the author of his own first book, Practical Ruby Projects.




			Stay Close to Mama illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka Hyperion Books for Children, 2012 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1423134824 In the wide, shining world there is so much to see, and Twiga is curious. But Twiga’s tall, tall Mama wants her baby to stay close, stay safe from the dangers that lurk near each irresistible sweet smell and sparkling sight that Twiga finds. With lyrical text and enchanting illustrations, this story of a mother’s love will soothe and delight readers of all ages.



			One Cool Friend illustrated by David Small Dial Books, 2012 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0803734135 On a momentous visit to the aquarium, Elliot discovers his dream pet: a penguin. It's just proper enough for a straight-laced boy like him. And when he asks his father if he may have one (please and thank you), his father says yes. Elliot should have realized that Dad probably thought he meant a stuffed penguin and not a real one...Clever illustrations and a wild surprise ending make this sly, silly tale of friendship and wish fulfillment a kid-pleaser from start to finish. Awards and Recognition New York Times Picture Book Bestseller List



			Lighthouse Christmas illustrated by Nancy Carpenter Dial Books, 2011 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0803730533 Frances is determined to make Christmas jolly for her younger brother, even if it means joining family on the mainland and leaving Papa behind on their isolated lighthouse island. After all, would Santa even know how to find them in this faraway spot? But when Christmas Eve is ushered in on a wild storm and Papa risks his life to rescue a drowning man, the children realize that the most important thing about the holiday is being together. As in all great Christmas stories, a happy ending is in store, and Santa finds them after all. Cozy and nostalgic, this story was inspired by the Flying Santa program, a New England tradition since 1929. It's the perfect book for a family to read together in front of the fire on Christmas morning.



			Penelope Popper, Book Doctor illustrated by Jana Christy Upstart Books, 2011 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1602130548 Poor Penelope. She desperately wants to be a doctor. She has everything she needs—a lab coat, a medical bag and even an identification badge! But Penelope’s friends are growing weary of her constant ministration, and one afternoon a discouraged Penelope finds herself without a patient in sight. Fortunately Ms. Brisco, the librarian, knows just how to help.



			No T. Rex in the Library illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa Margaret K. McElderry / Simon & Schuster, 2010 ISBN 978-1416939276 It's a quiet morning in the library until a little girl roars out of control! Tess resigns herself to a time-out, but finds that she must be the one who has to maintain order when T. Rex leaps from the pages of a book into real life. Books scatter, knights clatter, and a pirate brandishes a sword as T. Rex leads the charge to the stars. Will Tess be able to get this T. Rex under control? And will the library ever be the same?



			Adventure Annie Goes to Work illustrated by Amy Wummer Dial, 2009 ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0803732339 Amelia Grace is all set for a Saturday full of fun with Mommy. Donning her sparkly tights and red cape, she becomes Adventure ANNIE! But—oh no!—Mommy’s important report has gotten lost and she needs to go to her office to find it. What kind of adventure can Amelia possibly have in an office building? Well, it turns out that a rambunctious, imaginative kid can find adventure anywhere—and can maybe even save the day for Mommy at the same time.



			The Library Doors illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott Upstart Books, 2008 ISBN 978-1602130371 We all know and love to sing "The Wheels on the Bus," so here's a fresh rendition that is set in the library where: The library doors swing OPEN AND SHUT, OPEN AND SHUT, OPEN AND SHUT. The library doors swing OPEN AND SHUT All through the day! Follow a group of students who visit the library and discover its many exciting activities using the familiar tune of this beloved song. Enthusiastically illustrated in cheery watercolors by Nadine Bernard Westcott.



			R Is for Research illustrated by Nicole Wong Upstart Books, 2008 ISBN 978-1-60213-032-6 available from Upstart Cal D. Cat returns to the library, and this time he and his friends are working on a research assignment! The cute kitty from L is for Library shadows students around the media center as they follow a recommended research strategy through the alphabet. The corresponding library lessons contain instructions and reproducibles, as well as a resource list and the content standards covered in the lesson. Awards Recommended by Ruth Culham



			Fire Up with Reading: A Mrs. Skorupski Story illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa Upstart Books, 2007 ISBN 978–1–60213–019–7 available from Upstart Mrs. Skorupski is bringing fire-breathing dragons to Liberty Elementary, and you can bring them to your school, too! In a school-wide challenge, Liberty’s students see who can read the most minutes and place 5,000 scales on their paper dragons. Patty Lee desperately wants to be the top reader in the fourth grade and earn the right to wear the dragon costume in the parade—but will Carmen Rosa Pena read her out of the running? Patty Lee turns to Mrs. Skorupski for a new plan that might put her at the top. The race is on as Patty Lee devours books, read-alouds and audio books.



			Read, Perform, Learn Two: 10 Reader's Theater Activities for Literacy Learning Upstart Books, 2007 ISBN 978-1692139128 Following on the success of Read! Perform! Learn! (UpstartBooks 2006), Toni Buzzeo has created a second volume of ten Reader's Theater scripts from published picture books. Each script captures the wonder of the original while rendering it just right for performance. Each script is accompanied by an author interview and standards-based curriculum activities for great learning opportunities in the classroom and library that extend the book. Included in this volume are Axle Annie and the Speed Grump by Robin Pulver, Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles, and The Boy Who Drew Birds by Jacqueline Davies, among others.



			Collaborating to Meet Standards: Teacher/Librarian Partnerships for K-6, Second Edition Linworth Publishing, February 2007 ISBN 978-1-58683-189-9 A must-have revised edition of the popular Collaborating to Meet Standards series. This hands-on guide for elementary school library media specialists and teachers offers an introduction to collaboration, including a history and overview of the movement, practical suggestions for implementing the collaborative process, useful ideas for overcoming common roadblocks to collaboration, a simple, easy-to-adapt template that enhances unit planning, and eighteen collaborative units with assessments that have been successfully implemented in elementary library media centers nationwide, including units that integrate information skills with science, social studies, language arts and more.



			Our Librarian Won't Tell Us Anything! illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa Upstart Books, 2006 ISBN 978-0-8075-1708-6 "Mrs. Skorupski won't tell you ANYTHING!" That's what Carmen, a fourth-grader at Liberty Elementary, tells everyone about the school librarian. Fortunately, her new classmate Robert doesn't believe her and marches right over to ask Mrs. Skorpuski question after question. Mrs. Skorupski's eyes twinkle and her rhinestone glasses sparkle as she leads Robert to the tools he needs to find the answers. Carmen scowls as she watches Robert become a Library Success Story, but eventually comes around as she realizes that Mrs. Skorupski can teach them ANYTHING! Join Robert and Carmen in the wonderful and wacky world of Mrs. Skorupski's library and you, too, can be a Library Success Story.



			Ready or Not, Dawdle Duckling illustrated by Margaret Spengler Dial Books, 2004 ISBN 978-0-8037-2959-9 In every family there is one dreamer, the one who swims to the sound of his own drummer. Dawdle is that duckling, always looking for fun, excitement, something new, whether within his imagination or outside in the wide world. But will he get more than he's bargained for?



			Dawdle Duckling illustrated by Margaret Spengler Dial Books, 2003 ISBN 978-0-8037-2731-1 In every family there is one dreamer, the one who swims to the sound of his own drummer. Dawdle is that duckling, always looking for fun, excitement, something new, whether within his imagination or outside in the wide world. But will he get more than he's bargained for? Awards Children's Book-of-the-Month Club Selection; A Raising Readers Selection; Judy Freeman's 100 Best Books for Children, 2003; Sharron McElmeel's Favorite Books 2003; Dolly Parton's 2004 Imagination Library Selection; New Jersey State Library Pick of the Decade list



			Little Loon and Papa illustrated by Margaret Spengler Dial Books, 2004 ISBN 978-0-8037-2958-2 It's time for diving lessons, but Little Loon is too nervous. When he rushes away without trying, he encounters a shoreline full of strangers with their splashes, crashes, and growls. Where is Papa now that Little Loon might be in over his head? Awards A Brodart TOP Juvenile Title; Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004; Dolly Parton's 2005 Imagination Library



			The Sea Chest illustrated by Mary GrandPré Dial Books, 2002 ISBN 978-0-8037-2703-8 As they watch for the arrival of a long-awaited stranger, Maita tells her great-grandniece the story of her remarkable childhood. Living sheltered on a lighthouse island with only her parents for company, Maita would bake pumpkin pies, tend to the hens, spin stories, and long for a time when she might not be the only child the ragged island knew. And then one icy night, howling winds blew wave after wave against the shore, and from that fearsome storm came a sea chest—a gift that would change Maita's life forever. From a beguiling legend, Toni Buzzeo has fashioned this exquisitely lyrical, intimate tale, illustrated in stirring, vibrant paintings by Mary GrandPré. Together they have created a book of classic beauty and resonance. Awards Junior Library Guild Selection; A Raising Readers Selection; Kansas-NEA Reading Circle Catalog; Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002 - The Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College; Best Books for the Classroom, 2002 - Joan Kindig, Ed.D. Virginia Ceter for Children's Books; 2002 Maine Lupine Honor Award; 2002 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award; featured on The CBS Early Show 2002 Gift Books for Children by Valerie Lewis; selected for exhibition at The Original Art 2002, a Society of Illustrators juried exhibition, 2002; 2004-2005 Children's Crown Gallery Award Winner; 2005-2006 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee



			Collaborating to Meet Standards: Teacher/Librarian Partnerships Grades K-2 Linworth Publishing, February 2007 ISBN 978-1-58683-189-9 These standards-based, easy-to-follow collaborative lessons will not only build a strong bridge between the school library and the classroom, but will help educators help students improve their skills and scores. Written for elementary school library media specialists and their K-2 teaching partners, this book coaches readers on methods to meet student literacy standards. In this “balanced literacy” age, collaboration is a perfect means to address national, state, and local literacy standards.



			Read! Perform! Learn! 10 Reader's Theater Programs for Literary Enhancement Upstart Books, 2006 2nd edition, 2007 ISBN 978-1-932146-59-2 Liven up your library lessons with fun reader’s theater programs! The ten scripts in Read! Perform! Learn! make it easy for all of your students to be involved in each performance. Each chapter includes an introduction to the book and script, an author interview, the reader’s theater script and corresponding activities that connect to content standards. Scripts for Dinosnores, The Recess Queen, Chicken Soup by Heart, Mudball and many more popular books are included.



			Toni Buzzeo and You Libraries Unlimited, 2005 ISBN 978-1-59158-211-3 Playing on the phrase, "The author and you," a commonly taught reading comprehension strategy that teaches the learner how to look at the words of an author and make inferences about what is being said, this series will assist teachers and teacher-librarians in understanding the underlying purposes of the author as they prepare learning activities for their students. The series focuses primarily on books for the elementary age child (K-6), featuring insights into the author's background, purposes and goals in writing books. By furnishing an overview of the author's works, the books in the series give teachers the big picture. Each book features personal information about the author, including insights into why this author has chosen to write in a specific genre plus lesson plans and/or activities for each of the author's books featured. These lessons will stress the particular interest of the author and the "author and you (the teacher)" will build a collaborative instructional relationship using the material provided. Each book is written by the featured author or in close collaboration with the author. Using family photographs, reminiscences, anecdotes and stories, Toni Buzzeo relates her lifelong preparation to become a writer. The book features wonderful insights into the creation of her picture books for children and interesting creative lesson activities to use with students. Grades K-6.



			Collaborating to Meet Standards: Teacher/Librarian Partnerships Grades K-6 Linworth Publishing, 2002 ISBN 978-1-58683-023-6 Demystify the collaborative process with these hands-on guides, one for elementary library media specialists and teachers and one for secondary library media specialists and teachers. Collaboration is much more than just the latest buzzword. It is a worthwhile concept that can greatly benefit library media specialists, teachers, students, and administrators alike. And if it is done correctly, collaborative planning and teaching can help to meet educational standards.



			Collaborating to Meet Standards: Teacher/Librarian Partnerships Grades 7-12 Linworth Publishing, 2002 ISBN 978-1-58683-024-3 These straightforward resources presents methodology and models to assist elementary and secondary school library media specialists in their efforts to work collaboratively with teachers. Each of the fully developed units included are standards-based, and provide opportunities for students to master information literacy skills as outlined in Information Power while they also work on content area learning. These examples demonstrate the versatility of the template, which can be used across the curriculum in an endless variety of applications, resulting in full compliance with various benchmarks and standards.



			35 Best Books for Teaching U.S. Regions co-authored with Jane Kurtz Scholastic Professional, 2002 ISBN 978-0-439-20763-8 Take your students on a learning-packed trip across the U.S. with books they'll love! This resource includes background information, activity ideas, reproducibles, and Internet connections to help you use 35 great novels as springboards to social studeis learning. A great way to get your kids to read more deeply—and learn more about the seven U.S. regions.



			Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Stortellers: Real Space and Virtual Links co-authored with Jane Kurtz Libraries Unlimited, 1999 ISBN: 978-1-56308-744-8 Transform author visits from tenuous to terrific with this exciting new resource! Created by a nationally known children’s author and a practicing library media specialist, this book goes beyond the traditional approach to author visits to explore new possibilities opened by the Internet and other technologies. It helps teachers and librarians create the best possible encounters between students, authors, illustrators, and storyteller—in the classroom, library, or even cyberspace. Buzzeo and Kurtz describe dozens of successful visits, offering specific ideas on the many ways to connect with and create meaningful links between bookpeople and children. Every step of the process is detailed, from choosing the right guest and successfully contacting bookpeople to make arrangements for the event to making the most of the visit with curriculum connections and learning extensions. Readers will also learn how to take advantage of technology (e.g, the Internet, ITB, satellites) to maximize their budgets and add even more excitement to their programs. Spotlight sections on authors, illustrators, and storytellers offer close-up views of some of the possibilities, and lists of author/illustrator Web pages and managed Internet sites for author interaction help connect educators with potential guests.