Founded in 2003, National Book Month is a month-long celebration focusing on the importance of reading, writing, and literature. National Book Month encourages both reading and writing, two activities that both children and adults can benefit from greatly. Not only will frequent reading help to develop better reading and writing skills, but it will also expand knowledge, improve vocabulary, and provide great entertainment, too. You can also use National Book Month as an opportunity to…
This September, be sure to pick up a book, visit a library, and explore places you could only see in literature’s grandeur. September is National Literacy month, which promotes awareness and interest in improving the overall literacy of a community. This can have a pleasing ripple effect through every individual life, their children, and their families. Multiple efforts to impede illiteracy have been made since the first National Literacy Month, but even after all these…
Immerse yourself and develop stronger reading skills with Boston Public Library’s summer reading program for youth 0-17 years old. The program runs from June 17, 2024 to August 25, 2024. This year’s theme is Adventure Begins at your Library, developed by the Collaborative Summer Learning Program. Check out these incredible options available at the Boston Public Library for their summer reading program: Want personalized reading recommendations? Fill in the Shelf Service request form, and one…
Everyone knows you can save money on books by checking them out at the library instead of buying them, but did you know that libraries can help you save on other things, too? In some locations, you can borrow tools, take free language classes, and even get free tickets to local museums and attractions. The resources that your library has to offer will depend on its size and funding, which comes in part from taxpayer…
As protests against racial injustice spread to communities large and small in this year, many educators have been pushed to examine how systemic racism harms students. Some have publicly proclaimed the steps they will take to create anti-racist schools, including diversifying classroom and library bookshelves. That task may be easier than ever, thanks to six years of advocacy by the We Need Diverse Books campaign. “There’s no excuse for the books in your classroom and…
No one can deny the concrete and long-lasting effect the Harry Potter series has had on the world of children’s literature. Last summer marked the 25th anniversary of the release of the famous books in the United States. The first book of the series was released in England in June 1997 under the title “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” and on Sept. 1, 1998, Scholastic published the first book in the U.S., renamed “Harry…
Summer is finally here, and so are the American Library Association summer reading lists. The lists are full of book titles to keep children engaged in reading throughout the summer. Four summer reading lists are available for birth-preschool and grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Each list is available to download for free. Titles on the 2023 Summer Reading Lists were compiled and annotated by members of American Library Association’s Quicklists Consulting Committee. American Library Association…
When we think about the school library as a place where reading communities begin and are nurtured, we have to remember that a school is a place where many students do not inherently feel welcome. Historically speaking, school systems have sometimes been an instrumental part of systems of colonization and indoctrination, and culturally relevant libraries are not something everyone has access to. The tendency to demonize the unique parts of us that make us individuals,…
In any given community, the public library is one of the most important buildings. The library plays many roles, providing space, resources, and programming, with its doors open to all. In certain cities across the U.S., about three dozen libraries and systems currently have a social worker on staff. This number is growing as communities report the positive effects of having on-staff social workers. Libraries can often be a safe place for children and adults…
Banned books aren’t exactly a new concept, but the scope and frequency of them certainly seem to have exploded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. School systems, teachers, parents, and political activists battle over the specifics of education in America, from the opening of schools and quarantine protocols around the country to the in-class discussion of potentially controversial topics like systemic racism and prejudice. Yet these are all precisely the sort of complex societal…
