Author Archives

Karin Greenberg is one of the library media specialists at Manhasset High School in Manhasset, New York. She is a former English teacher and writes book reviews for School Library Journal and Woodbury Magazine. She co-hosts Bookscreenz Podcast with her daughter, Annabelle. In addition to reading, she enjoys animals, walking, hiking, the beach, and spending time with her husband, three children, and dog.

• The Power of Podcasts to Enhance Learning

  By Karin Greenberg on 04/23/2019 • ( 1 )

  

  Lately, when I’m in the middle of my high school library research lessons, I’ve been asking the students a question: “How many of you have listened to a podcast?” Usually not one hand goes up. Occasionally, there are a few…. Read More ›

• March Book Madness: A Library Tournament

  By Karin Greenberg on 03/26/2019 • ( 2 )

  

  One of the most frustrating aspects of being a high school librarian is failing to increase the level of leisure reading among the teenagers who frequent my library. There are a handful of dedicated readers who are as enthusiastic as… Read More ›

• Book Talks for Black History Month and Beyond

  By Karin Greenberg on 02/25/2019 • ( 0 )

  

  As with many of the library book displays I create throughout the school year, the one for Black History Month generates comments mainly from teachers and administrators. Students come to my high school library with a purpose. Whether they are… Read More ›

• Choosing Books That Challenge: Shaking Up Students’ Beliefs

  By Karin Greenberg on 01/23/2019 • ( 1 )

  

  This past weekend I read an outstanding essay in The New York Times “Book Review” section by Brian Morton, the director of the writing program at Sarah Lawrence College. In it, he describes an encounter with a college student who had been… Read More ›

• Using School Library Newsletters to Communicate

  By Karin Greenberg on 01/03/2019 • ( 3 )

  

  As in many schools, my high school library is a hub of our building. Hundreds of students walk through our doors each day; administrators stop by; teachers are posted to duty at the circulation desk every period; custodians and security… Read More ›

• Speed Dating with Nonfiction Books

  By Karin Greenberg on 11/27/2018 • ( 2 )

  

  It’s a never-ending dilemma: how to get overworked high school students to read for pleasure. Too often, teens associate reading with mandatory curriculum books. The Scarlet Letter, A Tale of Two Cities, Things Fall Apart. . . though some teens… Read More ›

• Research in the Age of Google

  By Karin Greenberg on 10/24/2018 • ( 1 )

  

  One day last fall, I taught several library lessons to seniors in AP Literature classes. They were preparing to start a seven-month research project on an author of their choice. The assignment involved reading three novels by the author and… Read More ›

• Lesson Plan Ideas For Teaching Information Literacy

  By Karin Greenberg on 09/25/2018 • ( 0 )

  

  In a recent conversation with seventh graders, I asked the students how many of them in the past few days had read a news article on one of their social media sites. Almost every hand went up. As a high… Read More ›

• Librarians as College Essay Coaches

  By Karin Greenberg on 08/20/2018 • ( 2 )

  

  As the new school year approaches, college essays are on high school seniors’ minds, and usually in the form of panic. As a college essay advisor for the past several years, I always have a sense of excitement during the… Read More ›

• The Case for Classics: Why They Are Relevant in a High School Curriculum

  By Karin Greenberg on 07/24/2018 • ( 4 )

  

  In late June, when regular classes had ended and our students were in the midst of finals week, I began a light weeding of the fiction collection in our high school library. More than once, I came across a classic… Read More ›