5 Steps to Planning a Successful School Garden

  To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. ~Audrey Hepburn   April is Gardening in Schools Month and now is the time to start planning and preparing for your school garden. Maybe you have created school gardens in the past, or have considered it. Either way, careful preparation is key to getting off to … read more »

Empowering Students; the Classroom as Library

While the month of April brings thoughts of spring showers and May flowers, for this school librarian, April reminds me of National Library Week  and its companion, School Library Month. I love the fact that there is a special time of the year dedicated to libraries. You don’t have to convince Americans that their libraries are important. Over … read more »

Celebrating Children’s Book Awards in the Classroom

Randolph Caldecott, born on March 22, marks an opportune occasion for celebrating the world of children’s literature! What better way to honor his legacy than by engaging in captivating classroom activities centered around award-winning children’s books? Incorporating these books and their respective award celebrations into your classroom is a powerful way to inspire a lifelong … read more »

Students and Nonfiction: A Winning Combination!

Nonfiction reading has something for everyone! Even your most reluctant readers will find a nonfiction book about a topic they are interested in. Reading nonfiction can help students learn about and make connections to their world and history, think critically about topics, learn new vocabulary, increase comprehension, motivate further reading about their own interests, and … read more »

Tips for Navigating Book Challenges

The challenging of books based on their content has a long history, but they have been a major news story this school year. The challenges are coming from a variety of sources—parents, school committees, politicians, community groups, and others. There are a variety of reasons for the discussion, but what do you do when books … read more »