Growing up an only child in the small town of Reading, Michigan left me with a lot of free afternoons to seek out my own fun. We lived in the country near a lake. There weren’t a lot of kids within walking distance of my house, but if I ran down this giant hill towards […]
Category Archives: Reading Lives
October
15
Riddle Me This by Candice Watkins
posted by CBethM
Riddle me this readers…why do so many educators consider comic books second class literature? Comic books are books. The very word “book” is in the title of the genre. I recently asked a student who had just finished his novel in my reading intervention class what he was reading next. He shamefully showed […]
September
24
Reflections of a Middle School Teacher by Kris Barr Paquette
posted by CBethM
Picture this. It’s mid-August. I have a million thoughts flying through my scattered brain while I speed through the grocery store. Things to get for my son’s sleepover party. What I still need to do in my classroom. I’m in a hurry because I am trying to squeeze in this grocery shopping chore during my […]
September
13
The Power of Literacy: Changing the Narrative of Toxic Masculinity by Travis Crowder
posted by CBethM
“…And of course there must be something wrong in wanting to silence any song.” -Robert Frost “I want to question the idea that it’s weak to be emotionally open, to demonstrate that it’s fine for men to be vulnerable and kind, and to recognize the courage it takes to be different.” -Ben Brooks […]
August
13
Keeping Afloat with Books by Debby Smith
posted by CBethM
Each school year has its own personality, its own way of being remembered. Last year was like trying to maneuver a raft through whitewater while blindfolded without paddles. After two decades in the classroom, I thought I knew what to expect and what to do. But when one of my students died unexpectedly, standards and […]
July
30
I was that kid. I still write for that kid. by Kevin Sylvester
posted by CBethM
I just returned from NerdCampMI and heard Dav Pilkey (and many others) talking about “finding the right books for the right kid” and also “any reading is reading”. Dav talked about his own experience of being told he wasn’t reading the right kind of books – usually comics or silly stories. And I […]
July
23
Read It Again…and Again by Candice Watkins
posted by CBethM
What is your favorite movie or tv show? Do you know whole chunks of dialogue by heart? Do you own it in multiple formats or have the ability to stream it on a medley of devices? Now, could you imagine someone having the audacity to tell you one single viewing of your favorite […]
July
16
Kinda A Reader by Ona Feinberg
posted by CBethM
We were touring the Lodge when the innkeepers mentioned the library. Courtney and Matt had already been so generous with their time, but my kids practically squealed, “Oh, yes! We HAVE to see the library!” The children climbed the steps ahead of me, stepping on the dog blockade, and commenting on how this was […]
July
02
Setting Them Up For A Lifetime Of Reading by Clare Landrigan
posted by CBethM
Do I have a library card? I stop typing, hit save, and turn around to face my son. I know I had one, but I don’t know where it is or if it is still active. Why do you ask? I want to reread the Harry Potter books this summer. I thought I could get […]
June
09
Let’s Start at the Very Beginning… by Mark Overmeyer
posted by CBethM
My first year teaching, I was one of the lucky ones. I had come out of a strong student teaching experience, and my new teacher colleagues provided a perfect balance of providing support and letting me try (and often fail) and try again. And my class– I will never forget my incredible sixth […]
