Cultivating Empathy When we read, we climb into the minds and bodies of our characters. We feel with them and we feel for them. I explain empathy to students as follows: Empathy is the experience of walking in someone else’s shoes and imagining how you might feel if you were in a similar situation. This […]
Category Archives: Top Ten Lists
Top Ten Reasons School Counselors Want Students to Read: Social-Emotional Learning Opportunities! by Sarah Scheerger
posted by CBethM
February
09
TOP 10 YOUNG ADULT NOVELS WITH MULTIPLE POINTS OF VIEW BY ELLA LEE
posted by CBethM
Many books are told through the eyes and mind of one person, whose opinions sway the storyline in to what the events and situations were like for them. But there is more than one side to every story. The following books are told by two or sometimes more perspectives. Each one of these books also […]
January
26
Ten Middle Grades Books with LGBTQ+ Characters by Dr. Donna Bulatowicz
posted by CBethM
When children read literature that reflects their own identities and/or those of their families, they can feel as though they have a place in the world. The written word is powerful; seeing oneself reflected on the pages of a book sends a message of value and belonging. Unfortunately, some children may not find texts that […]
January
19
Our Top Ten Tastiest Board Books by Kathy Anne Cowie
posted by CBethM
It wasn’t until I had children of my own that I truly appreciated board books. I’d collected picture books since I was old enough to buy them, so I had quite a few by the time I was in my 20s. (Possibly related to why I didn’t get married until I was almost 35…but that’s […]
January
05
Ten Ways Reading New and Diverse Literature Changes Us as Teachers By Stephanie Affinito and Kris McGee
posted by CBethM
Today’s diverse classrooms demand teachers who understand the power reading holds to change students’ lives and the world around them. Our students deserve books that have characters and lives similar to their own. They also deserve books that help them think outside of themselves and provide windows into new cultures, ways of thinking or new […]
October
06
Ten Great Mentor Sentences from a Middle Grade Text by Kris Barr Paquette
posted by CBethM
I love a great sentence. You know the ones that just grab you and make you say, whoa! One of the suggestions I always have for the teachers I work with is that they model sentences from these fantastic middle grade novels that we just love to teach grammar, editing, and revision. Jeff Anderson, also […]
September
29
10 Positive Things about Aging We Need to Show Kids in Books by Lindsey McDivitt
posted by CBethM
Childhood is an important stage of life, but it’s time limited. The fact is—we all have lots of living to do beyond age 18, yet the images of growing older in books for kids are often skewed to portray negative stereotypes as truth. Adulthood is frequently ignored and late life is often seen as sad. […]
September
08
Ten Middle Grade Book Beginnings Begging to be Read by Kris Barr Paquette
posted by CBethM
It’s the beginning of the school year, and you have all your favorite summer reads stacked up in your mind to book talk. I know. It’s exciting. The kids are going to love each and every suggestion you give them! Let’s fast forward a few weeks, suddenly you are buried beneath a stack of personal […]
August
25
Character-Inspired Collectors by Heather Rader
posted by CBethM
“Question #460: Poop. Poop. Poop is stupid. Stupid poop. Stupid. Poopid. Poopidity. Is poopidity a word?” Silence. When “Poop” is the first word your teacher reads aloud from As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds on your first day of school of fourth grade—that gets your attention. The main character Genie’s questions […]
August
18
Top Ten Reasons Students Should Read More Whole Books and Fewer Passages and Packets by Cari White
posted by CBethM
This seems like a list that should be written by Captain Obvious, right? Of course students should read whole books from beginning to end! But does that really happen at your school? Or does the workroom copier groan under the load of stapled packets with “passages” and related multiple-choice questions? Are students unable to find […]
