Every year I collaborate with the 11th-grade English teachers on a nonfiction independent reading project. The goal is to increase student agency and create excitement about literature. While many juniors initially express an aversion to reading, they often show an… Read More ›
literacy
Graphic Novels to Pair with Social Studies Lessons
I am a huge fan of graphic novels, especially when it comes to instruction. As a school librarian, I love finding new ways to collaborate with teachers and one way that teachers love to utilize me is when they ask… Read More ›
Engaging Nonfiction Titles for High School Students
Summer is a reading marathon for me. Each year, as I prepare to go back to my high school library, I take stock of titles I’ve read that might engage my students. I’m not always successful at motivating resistant teenage… Read More ›
Promoting Young Adult Books Through March Madness
Tournament Time Every year I eagerly await March Madness. Lifting me out of the mid-winter slump, the NCAA basketball tournament excites me with its college colors, team logos, energetic players, and unpredictable outcomes. Similarly, the March Book Madness tournament I… Read More ›
Literacy Through Graphic Novels and Comic Books
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 ›
Speed Dating with Books: The Power of Creative Nonfiction
This year I was thrilled to be back in person for our yearly 11th-grade Speed Dating with Books event. Though last year’s digital version was successful, it could not compare to the energy of a live activity. Amid the chaos… Read More ›
Nonfiction November: Titles to Motivate High School Students
When the leaves begin to turn and the air becomes cooler here in the Northeast, I find myself turning more to nonfiction. With #NonfictionNovember a popular hashtag on social media, maybe I’m not the only one who craves reality-based stories… Read More ›
DC Virgo Preparatory Academy Hopes to Spark Joy in Reading While Building Literacy Skills through Inspire Special Event Grant
At D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy (DCVPA), we focus on four pillars that drive school decision-making: Social and Emotional Learning, School and Community Resiliency, Literacy, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support/Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support. A needs assessment of the school community… Read More ›
Books to Celebrate Cultures and Foster Togetherness
There is so much misinformation circulating around the world these days. Hate has always existed but in today’s environment, it is front and center because of social media and other forms of technology that enable lies to spread in seconds…. Read More ›
Book Pairings to Motivate Teenagers
In the midst of our fast-paced society, it’s more important than ever to spark a love of literature in adolescents. Based on conversations I’ve had with students over the years, I’ve learned that teenagers have lost motivation to read for… Read More ›