The Joy of Children's Literature

From the Future of Reading series on NYTimes.com: Students Get New Assignment: Pick Books You Like JONESBORO, Ga. — For years Lorrie McNeill loved teaching “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the Harper Lee classic that many Americans regard as a literary rite of passage. But last fall, for the first time in 15 years, Ms. McNeill, 42, did not assign “Mockingbird” — or any novel. Instead she turned over all the decisions about which books to read to the students in her seventh- and eighth-grade English classes at Jonesboro Middle School in this south Atlanta suburb. Among their choices: James Patterson‘s adrenaline-fueled “Maximum Ride” books, plenty of young-adult chick-lit novels and even the “Captain Underpants” series of comic-book-style novels. But then there were students like Jennae Arnold, a soft-spoken eighth grader who picked challenging titles like “A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines and “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, of which she wrote, partly in text-message speak: “I woul...

Recently, I've had two conversations with two primary teachers in very different stages of their careers: the first is a former student who is getting ready to be a first year teacher and the second is a veteran teacher of 20+ years. The first year teacher has worked diligently over the summer to collect a small classroom library of books; the veteran teacher has 87 boxes of books. No matter the difference in the number of books in their classrooms, both teachers are dedicated to having a quality classroom library. The question I wish I had asked both of these teachers is: "What is going to be your first day read aloud"? I wonder if there are differences in the selection of the first day read aloud between new teachers and veteran teachers. How do you decide on the very first book you read aloud to your students...the one that sets the stage for all the other read alouds...the one that says "I love to read, won't you join me?" I would love to hear your thoug...

James Patterson, Nikki Grimes, Sharon Creech, Kate DiCamillo, Sharon Hale, Lowis Lowry, David Shannon, Mo Willems, John Sczieska, Judy Blume, Jerry Pinkney, and Jacqueline Woodson will be among the children's/teen writers and illustrators joining the lineup for the ninth annual National Book Festival, to be held on the National Mall in Washington, DC, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 26. The event is free and open to the public. These authors are among the more than 70 celebrated writers and illustrators participating in this year’s event. To provide festival-goers with the latest event news and information, the Library of Congress has added a variety of social networking features, including updates through Twitter and Facebook. To receive up-to-the-minute information for this year’s event such as author activities, day-of event details and much more, follow the Library on Twitter (@librarycongress, hashtag #nbf) or become a Fan of the Library on Facebook (www.f...

Where I live and work in Virginia, school does not start back for another month. In other words, we are still in full summer vacation mode. However, schools across the country, and even in some parts of VA, start back soon or have already started. So, today's post is about three online resources that provide great ideas and tips for back-to-school. #1: Reading Rockets News: Back-to-School This newsletter is chock full of great ideas! My favorites for teachers are on creating a classroom library and a literacy-rich environment . Other articles include ideas for back-t0-school night and a parent involvement checklist. Another favorite is an interview with Grapes of Math author Greg Tang ! There is much more, such as websites for interactive white board games, websites for teaching and learning, and ideas for parents. #2: SLJs Curriculum Connections: Back-to-School Bonanza This issue of CC includes an annotated list of back-to-school read alouds . young adult books featuring gay teen...