Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes – The Beginning of an Era – Review by Maggie Bokelman

January 04

I don’t recall any year as eagerly anticipated as 2021. But how to celebrate?  Parties are out—at least, the usual sort.  And while virtual gatherings have their merits, we’re all a bit tired of screens. This might be the perfect year to ring in with poetry:  poetry that connects and inspires us; poetry that pays […]

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An Ode to the Books of My Childhood . . . And to the Ones I Missed by Maggie Bokelman

September 04

In the box of things my mother saved from my childhood is an “about me” book written and illustrated by my third-grade self. On one page, a stick figure with a creepy grin and no nose is stretched out on a couch holding a book; nearby is an enthusiastically polka-dotted window. The text reads, “I […]

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“E” is for “Entertaining” and “Educational”: Ten Picture Book Biographies Tweens, Teens, and Teachers Will Love! by Maggie Bokelman

May 06

Even though the “E” on a picture book spine stands for “Everybody,” sometimes it’s mistaken for “Easy.” That’s unfortunate, because many picture books are complex and thought-provoking. In their 2009 book, Teaching Literary Elements with Picture Books, Susan Van Zile and Mary Napoli write, “A majority of current picture books are particularly geared for adolescents.” […]

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Twofers: Top Ten Titles about Twins for Teens and Tweens by Maggie Bokelman

February 11

Twins—especially identical twins—have a certain mystique about them. In her book Two, or the Book of Twins & Doubles, children’s author Penelope Farmer, a twin herself, argues that our society’s fascination with twins reflects deeply rooted yet conflicting desires.  On the one hand, we yearn to be unique and special, and the existence of identical […]

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Reading Allowed: Ten Compelling Middle School Read-Alouds by Maggie Bokelman

April 23

In today’s teach-to-the-test climate, some administrators discourage or even prohibit classroom read-alouds, especially for secondary students. I don’t have to trumpet the benefits of reading aloud to followers of “The Nerdy Book Club,” but what can you do if you’re told there’s no time because there’s too much “important” material to cover, or because the […]

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