Here in Chicago, students and teachers are still recovering from the World Series—among other things. Although I loved watching the playoffs this year, historically, I’ve preferred to experience baseball in book form. Growing up, baseball was the family sport. Hence, I’ve read my way through literally hundreds of baseball games, from t-ball to coach pitch to high school […]
Every year, I debate whether or not to dress up for Halloween in the library. Every school is different of course, but at the one where I currently work, most students celebrate Halloween, and dressing up is part of school culture. At a pre-K–8 school, there’s a wide difference between what each grade level does for Halloween. […]
Is there any time more ripe with possibility and expectation than the beginning of a new school year? I’m brimming with ideas and excited to see students coming back. I must admit, however, that I’m less excited about library orientation: the same lesson over and over again, the listing of rules and expectations. If I […]
Lynn: Reading for Bookends is a very humbling job. I am always finding books about subjects I know nothing about—but should! Pioneering female sportswriter Mary Ellen Garber is a prime example. Thankfully, there’s Miss Mary Reporting: the True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber (2016) by Sue Macy. Born in 1916, Mary Ellen Garber loved sports. Much to her […]
Cindy: No matter your political affiliation, there’s nothing like an election year to bring out the bad logic. Lynn and I discovered The Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments: Learning the Lost Art of Making Sense (2014) by Ali Almossawi at BookExpo in May. Previously published online at Book of Bad Arguments, this edition is a delightful—and above […]
I realize that most people are probably in the thick of beach book extravaganzas, but here in Chicago, I’m only just beginning. Even though school let out a few of weeks ago (we’re a late finish here), I’ve been mired in end-of-year tasks Now that I’ve tidied the collection and closed out for the season, I’m finally […]
Cindy: The name Lonnie Johnson may not be familiar to everyone, but he should be. When I saw Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions (2016) by Chris Barton in the Charlesbridge booth at BEA, I let out a whoop. I first learned about Johnson in the Capstone collective biography, African American Scientists (1996), and convinced our 6th-grade […]
Lynn: Just in time for Booklist‘s Spotlight on Crafts and Gardening is a book that is going to make a lot of teachers and librarians REALLY happy. On the Farm, At the Market (2016) by G. Brian Karas is perfect for the summer season and all those curriculum units on community, farms, and food production. […]
In my previous post, “The Names of These Books Are Secret,” I wrote about how I got the kids in my grade-school library excited about reading mystery novels using “mystery mysteries.” Although feeling a bit trepidatious I decided to also try out mystery writing with my middle-grade students. Fifth and sixth graders started by defining a […]
Cindy: I stumbled upon Tanya Lloyd Kyi’s DNA Detective (2015) at the public library (thank you to Loutit Library for allowing me to cannibalize your new book displays!) and ended up ordering copies for my middle-school libraries. The book opens with a one-page comic illustration of a jewelry-store crime scene. Millions of dollars worth of jewels […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
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