As 2021 came to a close, we all needed some brightness in our lives. Free Comic Book Day, a national initiative that takes place each May, inspired a colleague and I to start one of our own a few years… Read More ›
graphic novels
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Book Lists
One of my favorite times of the year is the end-of-year book lists. Public libraries, journals, authors, publishing companies, educators—they are all posting their favorite books from the year. Are you a middle-grade librarian? There are lists just for the… Read More ›
Movement for Manga
Over the years my library’s graphic novel section has grown exponentially. What started as a few manga series collections has morphed into graphic novels from all genres and nonfiction areas. With all the growth and change it was time to… Read More ›
Inspiring Avid Readers with the AASL Inspire Special Event Grant
It doesn’t take much to make me happy, and one of the things that brings me great joy is helping students become avid readers. According to Vocabulary.com, “Avid usually means very eager or enthusiastic. If you’re an avid reader, it… Read More ›
Explore How to Strengthen Your School’s Reading Culture in the May/June Issue
Reading is so important. It is a life skill that children must master to have success in the world. As author Mary Pope Osborne has said, “Reading is the basic springboard for learning. And books provide the liftoff. They are… Read More ›
Free Comic Book Day at the School Library
There’s something about comic books that excites people. As a child I devoured Archie and Richie Rich comics, but soon forgot about them as novels became my go-to medium. A few years ago, while in library school, I was introduced… Read More ›
Stop literacy shaming! Engaging the so-called “non-readers”
Do YOU literacy shame? I can’t believe that a single educator would ever admit to shaming a child for being literate. One of the main goals of the education profession is to encourage students to improve their literacy skills. And… Read More ›
Encouraging the so-called “non-readers”: Fine-tuning book displays
Reaching out to Non-readers As a high school librarian it is important yet challenging to encourage students to read books. This is particularly true for our students who consider themselves non-readers. They are intimated by hardcover books with hundreds of… Read More ›
Graphic Novelizations in the ELA Classroom
Using graphic format texts to support English language learners (ELL) has been widely discussed and accepted among educators, librarians, and other stakeholders. When adding to our graphic format collection we look at student requests, blogs, professional reviews, etc…all the resources… Read More ›
“But that’s not a real book!” – Why Your Collections Should Include Graphic Novels
In recent years, graphic novels have exploded in popularity. They are everywhere. And kids are excited about reading them. When I look at the circulation statistics in my K-5 library, graphic novels are some of the most checked out titles…. Read More ›