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 […]
Tag Archives: @mbokelman
January
04
Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes – The Beginning of an Era – Review by Maggie Bokelman
posted by CBethM
September
04
An Ode to the Books of My Childhood . . . And to the Ones I Missed by Maggie Bokelman
posted by CBethM
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 […]
May
06
“E” is for “Entertaining” and “Educational”: Ten Picture Book Biographies Tweens, Teens, and Teachers Will Love! by Maggie Bokelman
posted by CBethM
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.” […]
February
11
Twofers: Top Ten Titles about Twins for Teens and Tweens by Maggie Bokelman
posted by CBethM
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 […]
April
23
Reading Allowed: Ten Compelling Middle School Read-Alouds by Maggie Bokelman
posted by CBethM
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 […]
