On February 1, I attended the webinar hosted by AASL Partner organization, ADL Education, titled “Books Matter: Using Children’s Literature to Invite Conversations about Identity, Bias and Social Justice.” Attending this webinar, emphasized to me that during this time, when… Read More ›
The Way Forward with Include BY JULIE STIVERS The Shared Foundation Include is at the heart of an effective school library practice, not as a buzzword or feel-good mantra, but as the muscle that should power everything we do. Include… Read More ›
Star Gazing One recent night when the temperature in New York hovered around 15 degrees, my dog needed to go outside. I had been sitting on the couch reading (ironically!) A Year in Jamaica, Diana Lewes’s memoir from 1889. While… Read More ›
What is Crayola’s Creativity Week? Crayola’s Creativity Week will take place on January 23rd – 29th! The goal of this week is to celebrate children’s creativity and embrace innovative thinking. There is a different event planned every day for children… Read More ›
After writing dozens of these posts and working on dozens of other picture book and primary source pairings, there are few that truly shift my thinking about how I should be teaching a topic in my school library. But that… Read More ›
A Few Coping Strategies for Challenging Times We read about this more and more every day: a parent or group has challenged library materials. As members of the AASL/ALSC/YALSA Interdivisional Committee on School and Public Library Cooperation, we offer here… Read More ›
![I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As [an educator] I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized. -Haim G. Ginott](https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/I-Am-the-Decisive-Factor-105x85.png)
A Frightening Conclusion A long time ago, a parent gave me a copy of the quote above. His daughter was having some difficulties in my class. It was a simple but effective reminder that as an educator, my job is… Read More ›
Crayola’s Creativity Week begins January 23rd with exciting opportunities for students and teachers to engage with literature and art. One of the five events includes celebrity creators, Ria Thundercloud & Illustrator, Kalila J. Fuller in Dancing with Traditions. The picture… Read More ›
One of my favorite things to do as a school librarian is to find ways to combine STEM, art, SEL, and literacy. From an educator’s point of view, learners are constantly engaged with STEM and Art projects. STEM and Art… Read More ›
Wondering how to add some drama to your lessons? On Tuesday, January 24th join Broadway Star Ali Stroker and Illustrator Gillian Reid as they read their children’s book Ali and the Sea Stars. Ali and Gillian will be sharing inspiring… Read More ›
Creativity Week January is considered International Creativity Month. In celebration, AASL partnered with Crayola to provide a week of sponsored activities in the last week of January. The first day of the Crayola Creativity Week features NASA astronauts with a… Read More ›
A new year means lots of new books! Here’s one title I read an advance copy of in 2022 and loved. I’m looking forward to promoting it to students and teachers in 2023. The Davenports by Krystal Marquis, Dial Books,… Read More ›
Are you looking for a lesson idea that integrates imagination with science? There’s an event during Crayola Creativity Week that may pique your interest. On January 29th, the creators of Misty the Cloud: A Very Stormy Day will lead a… Read More ›
We as librarians understand that offering a rich, diverse range of reading options to meet needs of all community members is a major focus of both school and public libraries. Unfortunately, some individuals (and, recently, groups) are working to limit… Read More ›