Articles and news stories are constantly pushing me to consider something new, broaden my perspective, or change the way I look at an issue. My husband likes to joke that my brain explodes with something new on a daily basis. These articles – and the brain explosions that result from them – are so beneficial for me that I wanted to create a place where I could share them, in case you might want to read them, too. Learn more about Things that Made My Brain Explode – and see past posts – here. 

Here’s a recent batch of Things that Made my Brain Explode:

• A Letter to White Teachers of my Black Children. I still have so much to learn. I hope you feel the same way.
• Google Maps launches a ‘wheelchair accessible’ option for 6 cities. Tech! For! Good!
• Mo Willems prepares another ‘Pigeon’ book. There are so many wonder pieces of this interview. Stories should be played. Children love to feel seen. Drawing is empathy. The uncertain is scary, especially for kids. And, perhaps the most lovely, “I make the books. I can’t explain how they work.”
• Looking for a great summer read to spark something? TED’s giant summer reading list: Books to open right now.
• Harry Potter prequel series coming to television. I’ll leave this here without comment. Except I’m lying I do have one comment and its AERGUEGHRKVDJNVWKRJHGJZBRIJALDGUUUUUUUUH.
• Yes, parents, there is a magic formula to keep your kids reading through the summer. Who wants to play “Spoilers” with me?
• I have had many conversations about why GreatSchools.org is not a fair or accurate tool for making school decisions. No one ever believes me. This says it better than I can: There’s a Difference Between a ‘Good’ School and Choosing Whiteness and Wealth.
• “I Wish You All the Best not only educated me further on the nonbinary landscape, it inspired within me even more compassion for my friends who have been — and are still — going through similarly difficult transitions. There is tragedy at the heart of this story, but there is also tenderness.” This book is sitting on my nightstand, and I’m so excited to read it. A Nonbinary Teen Makes Their Way In The World In ‘I Wish You All The Best’.
• It’s July. I’m going to assume most of us need this. How to Use an Effective Alternative to Time-Out.
• Dictionary.com is helping to #RedefineBlack.
• Disney Finds ‘Little Mermaid’ Star in Singer Halle Bailey. I can’t wait to see this movie in theaters, multiple times, with large groups of friends. Remember, you get three chances to make your priorities known: your vote, your voice, and your dollars.
• CPS Teacher Develops Toolkit To Fight White Nationalism. I hate that this is where we are. But it is. So, let’s get ourselves a toolkit.
• What a Pediatrician Saw Inside a Border Patrol Warehouse. This was absolutely gut-wrenching.
• You Were Probably Forced To Read A Book About A Dog Dying In Grade School And We’ll Never Know Why. English teachers, you’ve got some explaining to do! 😉
• This heartfelt piece left me teary-eyed: This Is How You Come Out in 2019.
• Immigrants Belong Here: Books Helping Kids Advocate for Human Rights.
• I can’t look away from this team, everything they’re doing, and everything they stand for. World Cup 2019: The U.S. Women’s Team Wins and Leaves the Stage as a New Kind of American Role Model.