I wrote DRESS CODED to shed light on the pervasive problem of unfair and unequally enforced dress coding policies that disproportionately target students who identify as girls. While the novel centers around eighth grader Molly Frost’s efforts to address her middle school’s unjust dress code, I intended the book to be a blueprint for student […]
June
30
“Be brave, and most importantly, be yourself”: A Sneak Peek of THE BRAVE by James Bird
posted by CBethM
Growing up isn’t easy for anyone. Some kids have a better starting-off point than others, some kids have a better area to be raised in, and some kids have access to things that will make them more likely to thrive in life. But ask anyone who remembers being a kid in middle school and they’ll […]
June
27
Rewrite the Rules of Reading by Jen Kleinknecht
posted by CBethM
Do as I say, not as I do. Sometimes I fear that is our attitude towards reading. As adults, we allow ourselves to experiment with audiobooks and new genres, read books that are just great fun, read without pausing to jot notes, and abandon books we dislike. Do we allow children the same privileges, or […]
June
24
Stretch Out Like a Starfish by Lisa Fipps
posted by CBethM
Starfish is a middle-grade novel in free verse about eleven-year-old Ellie, who’s relentlessly bullied about her weight. It’s not my actual life story, but a variation of every mean thing said or done to Ellie happened to me when I was a child. People hurled hurtful words at me every day. Every day. And let’s […]
June
23
Geeking Out in Middle Grade by Sam Maggs
posted by CBethM
Con Quest!, my debut middle-grade novel, is out this June 23rd. I’m so excited about sharing this story with the world – not just because it’s a debut, and not just because I loved writing it (though I did), but because I hope that it might have the power to help even one middle-grader out […]
June
22
Reading Season by Renee Bowman
posted by CBethM
Dear Parents, Our household is busier than ever right now for one simple reason: basketball. Basketball is the only sport my kids love. Collectively, my kids play on three teams, we coach a team, and we help coordinate an entire league. Basketball season means several things: rushed dinners, late bedtimes, more showers, extra laundry, […]
June
18
Deepfakes, Technology, and Truth by Sarah Darer Littman
posted by CBethM
Dara and Will, two of Greenpoint High School’s overachievers, are locked in an intense competition to be valedictorian at graduation. They’re also secretly dating. That’s until the school’s anonymous gossip site, Rumor has It, posts a video of Dara accusing Will of paying someone to take the SAT for him. The video goes viral, and […]
June
16
When You’re Fourteen and Somebody Tells You Charles Dickens Would Have Loved You, You’re Gonna Believe Them by Matt Burns
posted by CBethM
“I think Charles Dickens would have liked what you wrote.” Mrs. Pitz, my ninth-grade language arts teacher, said that to me when she handed back the stack of papers I’d turned in the week before. I’d expected a D paired with some comments about how I hadn’t taken the assignment seriously and needed to […]
June
15
Rx: Silence by Joy Jones
posted by CBethM
“There’s a time to sing and a time to shout and then there’s a time to just chill on out.” So proclaimed an old rap song. And it’s so true; people need chill out stations. The library is a chill out, think-deep space; a place for quiet. Not as quiet as it was in my […]
June
12
Summer Reading and Learning for Teachers by Clare Landrigan & Penny Kittle
posted by CBethM
Jamie shows up early for class and wraps himself around a Matt de la Pena novel. You have heard a story like his before: he’s never been a reader, is not interested in novels (or grades), but is now putting in extra time to read. It’s not the book club he’ll be meeting with […]
