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Beyond Katniss: Creative Book-Related Halloween Costumes
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...
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After the Series: Character-Driven Baseball Books for Youth
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...
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When Reading Feels Like Work, Reboot
When reading books is a vital part of your job, it’s easy to love what you do. Of course, I don’t get to read books at work (unless it’s out loud at story time), but I still consider it a perk. As...
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Rereading Mysteries, Reveling in Childhood Nostalgia: Not Overrated
When I started my “mystery mystery” project last year, I really enjoyed going through my collection and pulling mysteries to put into brown paper bags in order to entice students to read those books....
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Looking Back on the End of the School Year
One of my favorite things about working in a school is the school year cycle itself. I love the momentum and the sense of change. There’s a clear beginning (New school supplies! Bright ideas for...
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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...
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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...
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Maternity Reads
Although I’ve certainly experienced my fair share of reading ruts, I’m currently in a completely different and fabulous reading season. For the past few months, I’ve read so many books, all for a...
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Be My (Library) Galentine!
An unexpected perk of being a school librarian has been the opportunity to work with amazing women in the library throughout my career. Since today is Galentine’s Day, the holiday made up by Parks and...
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When All the Words Are Magic
This past year was a big year for my family: my oldest son finished kindergarten, and his teacher deserves her place in the pantheon of great kindergarten teachers. (My son will proudly explain that...
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