Clik here to view.
Summer Checkout @ My School: What We're Doing and How We're Doing It
"This year, for the first time ever, I am allowing unlimited summer checkout."Read more »
View ArticleClik here to view.
Article 1
I finally wrote a companion post to 14 Graphic Novels for Girls Under 14! That post continues to be popular, so I'm adding one for the boys. This one is actually much easier because there are a LOT of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
YA New Releases--June 7, 2016
Wow, how did I end up with 12 spotlight YA novels this week? As usual, we have lots of contemporary romance, but this week, there are a whopping three GLBT titles and only one dystopia. Personally, I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Top 25 checkouts for 2015-2016
I haven't done this list since 2013, but I'm starting it up again. Such a fun tradition! I present this to my students in their last library lesson of the year. I did it today and say some girls...
View ArticleClik here to view.
MG New Releases--June 7, 2016
Only a few middle grade releases this week...Read more »
View ArticleClik here to view.
Review: An Ember in the Ashes (Tahir)
I am one of like 5 people in the world that did NOT like this book. Underdeveloped characters, poor world-building, and extreme violence turned me off so much that I could not get past the first half....
View ArticleClik here to view.
New YA Releases June 14, 2016
We have 9 YA spotlights this week, most of which are contemporary romances. I love contemporary romance and yes, they are popular with students. What I don't see is a burning need for more of them....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Middle Grade New Releases June 14, 2016
Eight new middle grade releases this week:1 set in Japan1 sequel2 mysteries2 British-y girl books1 middle school Geeks vs. Teen Queens story1 translation (Norwegian)Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale (David...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Reading Incentives: 5 Ways to Use Reading Bingo in Middle Schools
For librarians and elementary schools, Reading Bingo isn't a new idea. I've seen countless printable Reading Bingo cards online, both free and for sale. At the elementary level, students love Reading...
View ArticleClik here to view.
YA & MG New Releases--June 21, 2016
Not a lot of new titles this week, so I've combined the YA and MG lists into one. While there aren't as many new titles, all of them look pretty good. I'm most excited about Never Ever, a modern-day...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Using picture books with older readers: The Last Stop on Market Street (de la...
This post is the first in a series I've wanted to do for many years on my blog. I've just finished my 12th year as a school librarian. Before that, I taught seventh grade Literature and English for 3...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Using Picture Books With Older Readers: Twenty-One Elephants (Bildner) and...
This is my second post in my Using Picture Books With Older Readers series. All the lesson ideas in this series are designed for use in middle school, but they could be adapted for high school or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Review: And I Darken (White)
It's official. I can no longer claim I don't like historical fiction. I don't read it very often, but it seems whenever I do, I absolutely love it. I have rated the last five historical fiction books...
View ArticleClik here to view.
YA New Releases--June 28, 2016
Lots and lots of new releases this week, and some pretty good ones at that! We have:two historical fictiontwo contemporary GLBT titlestwo mysteriesnew additions to two popular seriesanother book by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Middle Grade New Releases--June 28, 2016
It's a big week for middle grade titles, with several I've been looking forward to reading. This week we have:2 high fantasy series firstsGrief after death of older siblingAnother 39 Clues...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Using Picture Books with Older Readers: The Whispering Town (Elvgren)
I'm on a roll this summer! This is my third set of lesson ideas for using picture books with older readers. Today's picture book is Jennifer Elvgren's The Whispering Town, one of many picture books set...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Review: Defending Taylor (Kenneally)
Having read all the previous six books in Miranda Kenneally's Hundred Oaks series, I was very excited to be able to read an advance copy of Defending Taylor. I'm feeling a bit neutral about this one;...
View ArticleClik here to view.
YA New Releases--July 5, 2016
I wonder if any other book category has as many new releases each week as the YA category. We have another 11 new releases this week, and honestly, most of them sound like something I would want to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Middle Grade New Releases--July 5, 2016
To be honest, nothing on this week's middle grades list blows me away. The James Patterson book will be a great addition to libraries looking for more fiction set in countries other than the USA. I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Using Picture Books with Older Readers: Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan
"Step on a crack; break your mother's back." How many of us heard this "rule" every time we walked down the halls of our elementary schools? To this day, I still think of it from time to time while...
View Article