Most of my personal epiphanies have come while reading fiction—while I’m fully immersed in a book with my guard down. This past Sunday was a first for me though. In just ten minutes and sixteen seconds, before I was even fully awake, a podcast leveled me. I was in prime position to be unraveled by […]
Category Archives: Uncategorized
March
12
Top Ten Short Novels to Snuggle Up With During a Blizzard by Stephanie House
posted by CBethM
“Whether the weather is cold, or whether the weather is hot, we’ll weather the weather whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.” Thus went the tongue twister we chanted in theatre camp. Recently, New York City, DC, and the surrounding areas got a crash course in just that. Most people snuggled up to […]
January
22
Crossing Over into a Community of Readers (Part Two) by Eti Berland
posted by CBethM
Standing in the exhibit hall in Chicago after two days of intense book deliberations examining and discussing children’s books with the fourteen other dedicated and brilliant members of my committee, I feel like a glittering orb of joy. My mind feels new, rewired by this labor of love that pushed me beyond my believed […]
January
21
A Friendship Born of the Newbery (Part One) by Leanne Statland Ellis
posted by CBethM
With the glow of ALA award announcements still shining on our faces, it’s time for a story, dear readers, a story about books and basketball, about children and reading, and most importantly, a story of how one special Newbery book brought about an equally special friendship. I structure the reading program in my fourth […]
December
20
If you liked reading…you may like listening to… by Travis Jonker and Colby Sharp
posted by Colby Sharp
Technology has helped humanity in many ways. It’s helped cure disease. It’s reinvented communication. It has made the impossible possible. Case in point: I now enjoy doing the dishes. I owe this particular (admittedly, minor) miracle to podcasts, which I listen to while scrubbing away. Podcasts are radio shows you can listen to online or […]
November
27
A DELUGE of WATER BOOKS by Nancy Bo Flood
posted by CBethM
Water moves. Water changes shape and form. Simple ideas but the enormous importance of the water cycle is hard to appreciate, as is the enormous importance of water. Water is life. You are water, at least two-thirds of you, even your bones and your brain! I share with you a deluge of wonderful water books. […]
November
26
First Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton – Book Review by Mahriya Zahid
posted by CBethM
Memories of thrilling adventures, mischievous plots, shocking secrets and new friendships still excite me to this day. The stories of Darrell Rivers and her friends at their new school, Malory Towers, delight me and the unexpected twists along the way make the journey even more captivating. Enid Blyton had simply created a masterpiece that made […]
November
25
Seven Important Things About The Seventh Most Important Thing for Seventh Grade Readers by Amy Estersohn
posted by CBethM
There’s been a lot of talk among writers about writing books for readers ages 11-14 who are no longer interested in most middle grades literature and who are too young for most young adult titles. Shelley Pearsall’s a self-described writer of middle school lit, and her new book, The Seventh Most Important Thing, is bound […]
Going Out for Air by Madelyn Rosenberg
posted by CBethM
There are rabbits in the yard, but the rabbit hole appears to be in my office, on my desk, when those little bars on my computer screen tell me I’m connected to the internet. I’m embarrassed by the things I’ve followed down that hole. In the interest of truthfulness, I will admit that yes, I […]
The Bad Habits of Good Readers by Carol Jago
posted by CBethM
Time for confession. While applauding the model of teachers as master readers and students as apprentices, it seems to me that before we recommend that students should become just like us, we would do well to examine what compulsive readers actually do. In my experience, avid readers often: 1. Value speed over reflection. Such readers […]
