I have packing rituals—habits I follow each time I prepare for a trip. I can pack my carry-on suitcase, Little Red, like a racetrack pit crew—quickly slotting my clothes, computer cords, and shoes into their proper places. After packing the essentials, I examine the available remaining space in my bag and fill it with books. […]
Tag Archives: Donalyn Miller
April
22
It’s Not Complicated by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
I have been blogging, writing, and talking about children’s independent reading lives for over ten years—starting with my first Ask the Mentor column for Education Week Teacher in 2007. I am not the first or the last educator to take on this topic. Scores of literacy leaders, like Daniel Fader, Rudine Sims-Bishop, Stephen Krashen, Teri […]
January
03
The 2017 Nerdies: Young Adult Fiction (Part Two) Announced by a Conference of Nerds*
posted by donalynm
Today we announce the second half of the 2017 Nerdies for Best Young Adult Fiction of the Year and close out our eighth year of the Nerdy Book Club Awards. Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate books and volunteered to write reviews for our announcement posts. Nerdy remains a vibrant […]
January
02
The 2017 Nerdies: Young Adult Fiction (Part One) Announced by a Chapter of Nerds
posted by donalynm
We finish up the 2017 Nerdy Book Club Awards with two collaborative posts celebrating the best young adult fiction. This year, we honor twenty-one exemplary titles that capture and respect the challenges of adolescence. Each book on the list offers young adults validation and support for their experiences and struggles, and expands readers’ understanding of […]
December
31
The 2017 Nerdies: Long Form Nonfiction Announced by Carol Jago and Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
I have always adored nonfiction books and spent a large part of my childhood reading books about animals and history. As an adult reader and teacher, I still enjoy learning about our natural world and its people. The quality of nonfiction texts written for young readers has dramatically improved since the 1970’s and 80’s when […]
October
15
On the Level by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
While I was visiting an elementary school library in Chicago last spring, a group of third graders came into the library to return and check out books. The children wore index cards clipped to their shirts. On one side of the card was the child’s name. On the back, layers of sticky labels with […]
August
27
Rituals by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
This weekend, we moved our youngest daughter, Sarah, into her college dorm room. Moving someone’s belongings 170 miles carries built-in challenges, but the physical transition was relatively smooth. The past few weeks of planning, shopping, cleaning, and packing paid off. Sarah had almost everything she needed for her classes and her living space. We unpacked […]
July
23
Education Is a Political Act by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
Nerd Camp Michigan (#nerdcampmi) kicks off with seven-minute Nerd Talks from a rotating group of speakers. This year’s speakers included Stacey Riedmiller, Chad Everett, Shannon Hale, Teri Lesesne, Tracey Baptiste, and me. This post includes the text of my speech. All Nerd Talk recordings will be featured on the Nerdy Book Cast this fall. […]
June
11
The Key to Summer Reading? Invest in Children’s Reading Lives All Year
posted by donalynm
It’s easier to maintain my reading life in the summer. Scorching Texas days provide excuses to lie under the ceiling fan and read all afternoon. Occasionally, I stay up all night binge reading—burning through epic historicals or fantasies in one sitting. I travel quite a bit during the summer, and books keep me company. […]
May
07
Love and Books by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
Yesterday, Don, Sarah, and I drove three hours to Cedar Park (near Austin) for Don’s sister and brother-in-law’s 40th wedding anniversary celebration. The trip got off to a rocky start. Sarah was grouchy and argued with me about her outfit of blue jeans, Gatsby t-shirt, and Converse, which I deemed inappropriate for the occasion. […]
