Harry Potter never won the Newbery Medal, and it never could have. There are two reasons, and neither has anything to do with quality. J.K. Rowling is Scottish, which makes her ineligible because the Newbery Medal is restricted to American citizens or residents. Even if she were American, the award committee explicitly does not consider … Read more
If you have spent any time in a school library or children’s bookstore, you have probably noticed that some books wear a shiny gold sticker while others wear silver. Those stickers mark the winners and honor books of two famous American awards: the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott Medal. What you may not realize is … Read more
The Pura Belpré Award is an annual honor presented to a Latino or Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in outstanding literature for children and youth. Established in 1996, the award has become one of the most recognized recognitions in Latino children’s literature, helping parents, educators, … Read more
If you’ve ever watched a child stop mid-page and whisper “wait, who did that?” you already know the power of a good mystery book for comprehension. After 3 months of running mystery book clubs across 4 elementary classrooms, our team saw reading comprehension scores climb by an average of 18% on follow-up assessments. The reason … Read more
Realistic fiction helps kids process real-life problems by giving them a safe space to experience challenges, feel big emotions, and watch characters work through situations that mirror their own. When my daughter read about a girl navigating a parent’s divorce, she came to me and said, “That’s how I feel but I didn’t know how … Read more
Magical realism in middle grade books is realistic fiction set in an everyday world where a hint of magic appears as part of normal life, serving to help characters process emotions rather than drive the plot. A book that does this well is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, where mysterious notes arrive that … Read more
If you picture a school librarian sitting behind a desk, stamping books, and shushing kids all day, you are not alone. That image is also wildly inaccurate. After talking with practicing school librarians and digging into what the job really involves, our team found that checking out books is one of the smallest parts of … Read more
You sit down to read with your child, and within two minutes the tears start. Or maybe nothing starts at all. Your child goes quiet, stares at the wall, and refuses to open the book. If your child cries or shuts down during reading, you are not alone and you are not failing as a … Read more
It is one of the most confusing puzzles parents face. Your child reads aloud without stumbling, tackles chapter books meant for older kids, and sails through timed reading tests. Then you ask what just happened in the story, and they stare back blankly. If your child reads well but comprehends poorly, you are not alone, … Read more
You sit down to listen to your child read aloud, and within a few sentences you notice it. They skip a word here, jump to the next line there, and suddenly the sentence they just read makes no sense at all. If your child skips words or lines while reading, you are far from alone. … Read more