Our newest feature gives Booklist critics the opportunity to shout about a recently published book they adored. They’ll tell us why we should read it, then provide five read-alikes for the title. Transcription, by Kate Atkinson and read by Fenella Woolgar Actress Fenella Woolgar and author Kate Atkinson have shared many creatively fruitful unions. […]
Lynn: I need to start this post about Eyes of the World: Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and the Invention of Modern Photojournalism (2017) with a disclaimer: Cindy and I had the privilege of watching part of this book’s creation. Marc Aronson shared some of his early ideas with us when we all spoke at a conference […]
Lynn and Cindy: We’re always on the look-out for books about WWII. Our eighth graders read Anne Frank in their English classes, adding to their already considerable interest in the subject—and having enough books on a popular topic for more than 300 students year after year is a challenge. So we’re very happy to have four excellent, new WWII books […]
Lynn: Phillip Hoose’s new book, The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club (2015), is a gripping, suspenseful read. Wonderfully constructed, documented, and nearly impossible to put down, this is one of those books that made me want to stop perfect strangers on the street just to share its fascinating information. It deserves every […]
When I am putting together a list for one of my book clubs, I always like to include an overlooked gem. This is usually a book that has not received a lot of publicity or media attention, but is still rich and engaging. One year, I was lucky to come across an ad for an author […]
Cindy: I’m booktalking historical fiction today and am reminded of one of my favorite books of 2008 that flew under the radar. It was published early in the year, and has one of the best covers with an embossed dead bolt and window on the cover that adds to the appeal. In The Boy Who […]
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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