Dear J.K. Rowling, Rupi Kaur, Markus Zusak, David Arnold, Ruta Sepetys, Jeff Zentner, Thank you. For making me cry so hard that one box of tissues isn’t enough. For the strange looks I get when a burst of laughter escapes my chest at your words. For the sleepless nights in which I’ve had to tape […]
Category Archives: Reading Lives
May
28
Summer Reading Plans by Katherine Sokolowski
posted by CBethM
On the day this post goes live, May 28th, my students and I will have said good-bye. It is, officially, our first day of summer vacation. This is a time for many teachers that is bittersweet. We absolutely need a break, as do our students, but we also hate to see them go. This year […]
May
19
Hot Air Balloon Moments by Susan Knell
posted by CBethM
I’ve never taken a ride in a hot air balloon and never will because I’m scared of heights. I do love love to watch them gliding through the sky with all the bright colors floating by and I would love to see the hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque sometime. My best friend’s father was […]
May
14
What I Learned from Reviewing a Book Every Day for Three Years by Janet Dawson
posted by CBethM
“I’m thinking of starting a blog where I’ll review a new children’s book every day,” I mentioned to a colleague. She kind of chuckled and shook her head, clearly unconvinced that this was possible. Was she right? Why would I…or anyone…want to set myself up to have to read and review a book every day? […]
May
07
The Spirit of Reading by David Rockower
posted by CBethM
My eleven-year-old daughter, Maddie, will occasionally leave a poem, a letter, or note on my pillow, her tiny print scrawled over half-sheets of wrinkled paper. These notes–filled with her wonderings, frustrations, and hopes–are gifts. They give me glimpses into the parts of her life she doesn’t often share through conversation. Last week, she couldn’t wait […]
April
30
A Book Club for Everyone…the Importance of Diversity in Books by Don Vu
posted by CBethM
A few weeks ago, one of my teachers, Jennifer DeBortoli, gave me a copy of a book titled, A Different Pond by Bao Phi. She left it on my desk with a note that just said, “Don- I think you’ll like this book”. She was wrong. I loved this book. A Different Pond is a […]
April
16
Reading Lives: How Queer Lit Helped Me Read Again by Josephine Swaney
posted by CBethM
I am a serial book-starter. The numbers of books I’ve picked up and put down in the past few years pains me. Books that I wanted to read and started up but never found the motivation to continue. Books I’ve had on my reading list for years that I never committed to reading. I’m a […]
April
09
“Dear, Mama”—Remembering & Celebrating Early Family Literacy Practices by Dionna N. Roberts
posted by CBethM
My earliest memories of literacy take me back to the warm musty attic of my family’s small house, on Belvidere Street in Detroit, MI in the early 80’s. My mother transformed this unlikely space into a sanctuary for creativity, stories, and intentional learning. In that tiny intimate space on Saturday mornings, my mother and I […]
March
19
I Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks for a YA National Book Award and Why Libraries Matter by Megan Fink Brevard
posted by CBethM
I was a member of a national book award committee and we read over 54 books in 52 weeks. I can imagine the reaction, why? As a school librarian and a life-long enthusiastic reader, I have loved books since I was a little kid. After working in the publishing field in New York, I found […]
March
12
My Secret Reading Identity by Julia Guthrie
posted by CBethM
I have a confession to make. I have a double reading life. Most of the time, I read middle grade novels. Not only do I consider this part of my job as someone who is entrusted with the reading lives of young people, it’s something I genuinely enjoy (seriously, have you read any kidlit lately? […]
