Heart Tugs

While reading some of the stories my third graders are writing, I realized something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on what it was until I was reading a book during read-a-loud. That moment when you feel a little choked up and it's hard to get the words out, which I do from time to time and was doing that day. Usually when this happens, my students sit up and pay attention because Ms. Murphy is feeling something. I will read the passage over and we talk about how lovely the language is and how it makes us feel. This particular day, I was reading Beholding Bee by my good friend and author, Kimberly Newton Fusco."Listen again," I said to my students. "Listen to how the author is describing how Bee is feeling right now because of the diamond on her face." That's a heart tug. Music to the heart.