Exploring Book Genres through Makey Makey & Scratch Fifth graders combined literacy and technology in a unique project. Step 1: Read & Analyze Each student pair read a Caldecott Award–winning book and explored its genre, discussing story elements, themes, and illustrations.
Step 2: Write & Script After identifying the genre, students wrote short scripts that captured key aspects of their book—like a mini book trailer or dramatic reading.
Step 3: Code & Create Using Scratch, they programmed their recordings and animations to tell their story.
Step 4: Tinker & Play Finally, they connected their projects to a Makey Makey, turning physical objects (like book covers) into interactive controls to play their recordings! Visitors can press a touch a sensor to hear students’ book summaries and learn about the genre and book—an engaging blend of reading, writing, coding, and hands-on tinkering!
Hello again! I am back with the promised Gingerbread Competition! I took what I learned hosting the pumpkin carving and made some changes and we ended up with a 60 (!!!) gingerbread houses decorated this past week. Riding a sugar high over here.
This time, I advertised the program starting the Monday before. We shared a flyer in the student e-news, displayed it in the library, and ran it on the TVs around campus. I skipped advance sign-ups and instead made it clear that supplies were first come, first served, with a limit of ten houses per day. This took some logistical pressure off me. I gathered all the supplies the week prior and built the first round of houses on Friday before the weekend. Gingerbread is a bit of a misnomer here, as the houses were built with graham crackers. I pre-built everything for two reasons: children are messy creatures, and graham cracker houses need time to set before decorating. I wanted students to spend their time creating, not waiting for walls to stop sliding apart!
Full disclosure, I have been building these houses for groups for years. I am pretty good at them. A middle schooler timed me this week, and I can assemble a house in 42 seconds! If you want a tutorial, I am always happy to share. My two biggest tips are to use Walmart brand graham crackers and the cheapest store-bought icing you can find. That icing dries like concrete. We set the houses out on plates around a large table covered in plastic dollar store tablecloths. I offered icing in disposable piping bags in both white and green. Do not dye green icing yourself! You can buy tubs of it at the dollar store and save yourself the trouble.
For decorations, we had lots of options, but the most popular were Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, mini candy canes, mini M&Ms, pull-and-peel Twizzlers, pretzels, and of course the icing. All candy was kept in bowls on a table where I stationed myself, and students came up to select what they wanted rather than having free access at the decorating tables. This encouraged more intentional choices and allowed us to gently remind them not to eat the candy, given how many hands had been in those bowls.
They still ate the candy. I did what I could! Monday was slow, and I once again had to remind myself that the beginning of a program is not a measure of its success. Students do not read emails, and word of mouth takes time. I recruited a few of my frequent library visitors to decorate that first day, and later that evening an entire basketball team came in for study hall and enthusiastically built houses they were genuinely proud of. After that, the floodgates opened. Students streamed in all week asking about the gingerbread houses! This time, we posted the ribbon categories ahead of time, and several students decorated very intentionally with winning in mind. I recruited our Head of School to award a ribbon as well this time, and the kids thought that was particularly exciting. They checked back regularly to see when prizes would be awarded, and the students who earned ribbons were incredibly proud. As they should have been!
Watching this program unfold was such a joy, and I cannot thank the Vision to Reality Grant team enough for funding this kind of library fun. I will be back in February with another program and, if all goes according to plan, another full library!
Welcome to my first AISL blog post! This is my second year as a K-5 independent school library media specialist and eleventh year as an elementary school educator. Thanks to the generous award of the AISL Vision to Reality Grant, I was funded and able to host an author visit for second through fifth grade students. We were thrilled to welcome Shamim Okolloh and her son, Liam Sprinkle, co-authors of the 2023 children’s book Ella the Banker. Both authors are Native Arkansans based in Little Rock, and they made the trip to visit our school in Fayetteville, AR. Their book focuses on the importance of introducing financial literacy at an early age through the story of Ella, a second grader who takes a field trip to a bank and learns about its behind-the-scenes operations and the different types of banking. The message aligns beautifully with a beloved project at our school—the second grade Holiday Store. Each year, our second graders visit a local bank, apply for (and receive!) a loan to purchase materials for the crafts they create. They then sell their handmade items at school, and the funds raised are used to buy gifts for families in need within our school and community. Ella the Banker provided the perfect narrative connection to this real-world learning experience, and having the authors on campus made financial literacy and banking feel even more exciting, real, and accessible to our students. Ella the Banker is available for purchase at Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Add a copy to your library, more than 5,000 copies have already been sold!
Welcome to the first post in my series about luring students into the library—with programming, not bribery. Though honestly, both can be effective.
This is my second year as Director of Library Services, and my focus for the year is building community. Last year was all about the logistics—reworking the collection, rearranging furniture, and figuring out which light switches controlled which parts of the library. This year, I’m leaning hard into the fun stuff: being everywhere, doing everything, and getting students to do all the library things.
Thanks to the AISL Vision to Reality Grant, I get to go big with that goal. My proposal centered around the idea that a little friendly competition can go a long way toward creating community—and filling the library. I’ve always believed libraries aren’t just quiet study spaces or shelves of decorative books. They’re safe, lively spaces where everyone should feel like they belong. And when programming makes the library approachable and fun, the books practically start walking off the shelves themselves.
Our school is a 6–12 boarding school, with about half our students local and half international. One thing they all share? A deep, abiding love of competition. Give them a ribbon, a pin, or even bragging rights, and they’re all in. And let’s be honest—sometimes the lower the stakes, the higher the bragging rights. So this fall, I kicked off our competitive programming with something delightfully old-school: a Pumpkin Carving Contest. Nostalgia meets rivalry—it’s the perfect recipe. In just three days, 35 students carved pumpkins. I call that a serious programming win.
How It All Came Together
Step one: confirm I was, in fact, allowed to give students sharp objects. (An underrated but essential step.)
Once I had the official thumbs-up, I started promoting the event about two weeks out. It’s hard to identify a sweet spot for programming —too early and they forget, too late and they’ve filled their schedule with other Very Important Teenage Things. But two weeks seemed to work out for this.
Promotion went out in the weekly student e-news, on the TVs around campus, by the library sign-in station, and via a community-wide email. Students signed up through a simple SignUpGenius—five slots per class block for upper schoolers, and a separate lunch option for middle schoolers. About two-thirds of our carvers signed up in advance, which, for a first run, felt like victory.
Then came the pumpkin hunt. I checked local farms and big box stores, but Walmart’s $3.97 pumpkins beat everyone else’s $10 price tags. Supporting local business is wonderful—but so is staying within budget. I enlisted my oldest child and my husband to help me and we relieved a few local Walmarts of their pumpkins purchasing 40 pumpkins overall and drawing a lot of attention from other shoppers.
Our activities department already had carving tools, so all I needed were blue ribbons for prizes and battery-powered tea lights from the dollar store—three for $1.25. Librarian math loves a bargain.
Our campus is spread across multiple buildings, with the library being its own building, so I was able to hold the event outside. Facilities set up tables, chairs, and a giant trash barrel, and I silently prayed to Mother Nature. Thankfully, she came through. I also pre-scooped all the pumpkins myself—partly to save students time, and partly because I didn’t want pumpkin guts decorating the front steps.
The Big Carve
When we returned from fall break, the library patio was ready for action. The first day started slow, so my library assistant and I began the old-fashioned way: walking up to kids and asking, “Hey, want to carve a pumpkin?” The secret? Never ask just one student. Ask a pair. Peer pressure for good, not evil. Also don’t limit yourself to the library. I asked kids at lunch, during class, whenever I saw them around campus. There was no escaping me!
By the end of day one, I’d gone from worrying about leftover pumpkins to wondering if we had enough. The windows along the library’s front made perfect viewing for the pumpkin action outside. We popped out to chat, admire designs, and offer the occasional pep talk. Most students proudly called us over to admire their finished masterpieces—because no one, no matter how cool, ever outgrows wanting praise.
On Friday afternoon, I placed tea lights inside all the finished pumpkins and lit them up. The whole display glowed through the weekend, and it looked amazing. We awarded ribbons in five categories: “Ms. Pratt’s Favorite,” “Ms. Stiefel’s Favorite,” “Spookiest,” “Cutest,” and “Most Traditional.” The students were thrilled to see either their or a friend’s pumpkin get chosen!
Lessons Learned
All in all, a smashing success! I’ll absolutely run it again next year. There’s something magical about recurring programs—they become little traditions students actually look forward to.
Next time, I’ll lean harder into the competition side. Bigger signage for categories, maybe display the ribbons ahead of time, and definitely turn the awards and lighting into a mini-event. I picture pumpkins glowing after dark, hot cocoa in hand, and everyone pretending to be serious judges.
Also, note to self: wipe tables daily. Dried pumpkin residue can rival super glue in strength.
How You Can Adapt It
I’m lucky to have outdoor space, supportive colleagues, and a schedule that allows time for carving chaos. But even without those things, you can absolutely do your own spin.
Try smaller sugar pumpkins with acrylic paint pens, or paper jack-o’-lanterns hung in the library windows. The key ingredients—creativity, friendly competition, and a dash of seasonal spirit—are free.If you have questions or want to trade programming ideas, feel free to reach out. And stay tuned—next up in my quest for programming domination: gingerbread houses.
Like many school librarians, I like to post what I’m reading so the kids can see that I practice what I preach! I especially enjoy posting what I read over the summer, since I have more time to read then. Following a rather too-eventful summer in 2024, I decided to schedule in more down time this year—aka reading time! The AISL Summer Book Bingo provided the perfect starting incentive, and I was determined to fill all 25 of the squares, which I did. I really enjoyed the opportunity to read some books that differed from my usual fare (I mean, Japanese Cat Lit? Who knew that was a thing? ).
I also read a lot of other books, primarily audiobooks. I listen to audiobooks in the car, when I’m getting ready in the morning, when I’m out walking, and when I’m getting ready for bed (that’s cozy mystery time!). While public library is a great source of audiobooks, if you are not familiar with the Libro.FM program for educators, definitely check it out! Every month it offers educators something like 20 free, pre-chosen audiobooks, and I love getting that email and going to the site to see what they have on offer. Though I generally choose the middle school books, as that’s my student population, the site always offers a number of YA titles and several adult books as well. I love that this program leads me to discover books I wouldn’t otherwise encounter or read, like The Mizzy Mysteries: A Skeleton in the Closet by Claire Hatcher-Smith. In this family mystery, the detective has Down’s Syndrome, and the audiobook is read by a person with Down’s. Last night I used LibraryThing to put together a graphic of the covers of all the books I read over the summer, which I will post by my desk for the kids to see when they arrive. One of the site’s useful tools is that after you enter books by title or ISBN into a list, it can generate thumbnail covers of all the books in that list. From there, I used the snipping tool to put together my graphic. Welcome back, and I hope you find some wonderful books this year!
This summer we are taking a different approach to summer reading at The Oakridge School by combining suggested reading with options for other activities. These include ways to delve into art, culture, science, sports, literature, service and technology. We are calling this platform: Commit to Curiosity. I am still a huge proponent of required reading for the summer; (with lots of choices), but for now Oakridge has opted for suggested reads. Lower and middle school students are excited about summer book bingo – possibly because of the raffle and gift cards on the line. (I am excited about AISL Bingo!)
I think the key to success will be promotion, promotion, promotion. We’re marketing the guide with a student created commercial, and social media combined with our school website will hopefully keep the momentum going. The students also have an option to keep up with their activities in a “passport” book. Links to the Bingo Boards are in the platform under Literature.
I love my job for a variety of reasons, so here’s my top ten!
Sharing a favorite book with a class is magic. Kate DiCamillo’s Tale of Despereaux, (or anything by Di’Camillo, LOVE Raymie Nightingale), There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom by Louis Sachar, For Every One by Jason Reynolds, Loser by Jerry Spinelli, From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks, Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson, Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Larger than Life Lara by Dandi Mackall are books I describe as life changing. Experiencing an exceptional book as a group creates a unique bond. “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another” (Kate DiCamillo).
I get to share really hilarious books with my students. I Really Like Slop by Mo Willems, The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt, Creepy Pair of Underwear by Aaron Reynolds, Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Humpty Dumpty Falls Again by Dave Horowitz, Pssst! by Adam Rex,and Seventeen Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore by Jenny Offill are guaranteed to fill your space with giggling students. That’s a pretty nice way to spend your day.
Books such as Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull, The Two Bobbies by Kibby Larson, Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell, Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, The YellowStar: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark by Carmen Agra Deedy, Love by Matt de la Pena, My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig, and Ida, Always by Caron Levis are some of many inspiring reads that foster empathy. And I’ve placed a few powerful read alouds in their own category- must reads. This group includes: Rumplestiltskin retold by Paul O. Zelinski, Flotsam by David Wiesner, The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee, Drawn Together by Minh Le, and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett. “When we read together – we are taken out of our aloneness. The story opens doors for us; and we, in turn, open the doors of our hearts to each other. When we read together, we welcome each other in” (Kate DiCamillo).
I learn so much from our collection of books, and enjoy showing off my knowledge about sharks, giant squids, tsunamis, the Middle Ages, pirates, hero dogs, Greek mythology, and Bigfoot to my friends! This has definitely improved my skills at trivia games 🙂
Getting new books feels like your birthday, every time.
When working with Upper School English students, I revisit incredible novels such as Beloved, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Great Gatsby, The Poisonwood Bible, Fahrenheit 451, and The Joy Luck Club; this makes me happy! It’s a joy to take this journey with them and connect over literature with really bright, invested students.
I am the head librarian at a prek-12 grade school; the sole librarian for students age 3 to 18. I watch these students grow and hopefully support them along the way.
Our school hosts incredible guest authors like Sarah Weeks, Nathan Hale, Jerry Pallotta, Aaron Reynolds, and Chris Grabenstein.
It’s a privilege to be the person students come to for book recommedations, because they trust me, my knowlege about literature, and my understanding of what they like. A good part of my week is helping students find the perfect read, and then finding out how they felt about the book.
When I tell people I am a librarian, I often get various responses. One is, “You don’t look like a librarian,” as if they anticipated a shushing, grimacing battleaxe. The other response I get is, “Do people still go to the library?” Both questions, while annoying, encourage me in my pursuit of offering top notch customer service in my library to deflate that stereotype and encourage patron usage. Therefore, it is my goal to assist every guest who walks through the library door with the same friendly, quality customer service.
When I am introduced to new students or touring families, I emphasize that I will ALWAYS help them and that our library is a place they can utilize anytime. I express that I LIKE to help them, that is my job and it makes me happy. While I truly enjoy working with my students, I also perceive that everyone at my school is responsible for recruitment and retention of students, and my job depends on enrollment. I am on the lookout for students who need help, and if they don’t ask, I ask them. I thank them for coming, because truly, without their patronage, I am irrelevant. I became an educator because I like working with students.
I believe it is crucial that I know my patrons, and if possible I find out what they like to read. I have an office, but I never use it; I sit at the circulation desk where I am visible and approachable. I greet visitors with eye contact, a smile, and by name. My “superpower” is learning student names. The greeting and the smile go a long way; I have had students and alumni tell me how much it meant to them to be cheerfully welcomed to the space every day. This creates, through word of mouth, an understanding that our school library is a safe and welcoming place and as a result we accrue more patrons.
I have had to train my aide to “take the extra step” in terms of patron support. I had a similar experience with another librarian colleague I worked with at a different school who expressed that I was “too nice.” I don’t think I am doing permanent academic damage to a student if I lead him/her to Shakespeare’s plays, or grab A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the student, as opposed to writing down the card catalog number and sending them on their way. For one, I think the student will more likely remember the positive service than how the Dewey Decimal System classifies drama. I also think teens and tweens are often overwhelmed, and I typically give them the benefit of the doubt. The sullen teen can usually be won over with respect, courtesy and friendliness; it’s important to realize that we never really know what is happening in their lives. I think about my own experiences as a customer, and how perturbed I get when an employee at a hardware store expects me to find an Allen wrench hex key when I have no idea what it is or what it’s for. Similarly, I am not too happy when employees at my favorite grocery store ignore me while they engage in casual conversation. I try to put the student first – and address their needs even if I am mid task or have been talking with staff members. I get a little bit unhinged when teachers arrive to pick up their class from the library, but instead engage in small talk leaving their students to become more and more boisterous, which is only to be expected.
It’s important to “keep up appearances.” It’s a lot of work, but I’ve made the holiday tree of books several times with hundreds of books and strands and strands of lights. We have book art, rotating displays, interactive bulletin boards, lights and whatever else I can dream up, steal from other libraries or find on Pinterest to make the space inviting and fun. Our comfortable seating and manipulatives have been limited because of Covid-19, but we are adjusting. Contests as well as a no fine policy have also promoted good will and increased usage in the library.
Every interaction matters. According to Anthony Molaro, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Business and Professional Studies at St. Catherine University, “A worldview that sees library users as patrons is one in which the patron is above libraries. According to this worldview, we should feel lucky that they support our work, and we are forever indebted to them. Some people call this term archaic, while others have no idea what a library patron even is. In the end, the perception is that the patron is above us.”
Especially at independent schools, where tuition can be incredibly high, customer service makes all the difference in creating relationships between staff, students and families. It should be a priority for all library staff.
“Information Activist.” Library Journal, vol. 136, no. 5, Mar. 2011, p. 50. EBSCOhost,
Pundsack, Karen. “Customer or Patrons? How You Look at Your Users. Affects Customer Service.” Public Libraries Online, Mar. 2015,
I am the sole librarian at a Prekindergarten-12 school so I need all the help I can get! I am with first through fifth graders more than other grade levels, so most of these resources are tailored towards younger students.
1. SLJ online. While the full magazine is free online to librarians right now, I often visit the SLJ website to explore the range of noteworthy blogs, particularly “The Classroom Bookshelf” and “100 Scope Notes.”
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. I have used his “Name that Lego Book Cover” and “One Star Review, Guess Who?” (ridiculous reviews from Goodreads) for library contests.
2. Lucas Maxwell’s Portable Magic Dispenser! Lucas Maxwell is a school librarian at Glenthorne High School in London. He’s quite creative and very generous. When I need book suggestions, library lessons, research and tech tips, literary games, book displays and things I didn’t even know I needed, I refer to his blog and newsletter.
3. Teachingbooks.net. This subscription is worth every penny even though I could probably find most of the resources independently. I use it every single day.
4. Talented authors who generously share their creativity, and so many have stepped it up big time since Covid -19!
Mo Willems’ wonderful website and inimitable resources can be found here: Mo Willems/Kennedy Center (Also, if you haven’t watched Mo Willems making slop, you are missing out: I Really Like Slop!) If you found this entertaining, try Carnivores from the talented and truly funny Dan Santat: Carnivores
Jerry Pallotta has a terrific website: JerryPallotta. He visited our school last year. He’s hilarious and student – focused.
Grace Lin Activities are well worth a look; there’s games, crafts, drawing and writing activities to supplement her books.
My students love Dan Gutman’s books and enjoy visits to his website for trailers, writing tips, videos with Dan and games: Gutman.
Jarrett Krosoczka’s Draw Every Day with JJK is a program designed to “educate, entertain, and empower young artists.”
Jason Reynolds’ “Write. Right. Rite” series: GrabtheMic. On January 13, 2020, Jason Reynolds was appointed the seventh National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.. Our English teachers AND their students have fully embraced this series sponsored by the Library of Congress. It’s superb.
Jarrett Lerner Jarrett’s Doodles & More: JarrettLerner. An abundance of FREE writing and drawing prompts, and activity sheets that marvelously supplement literature.
Read, Wonder and Learn– read alouds from a variety of authors and illustrators curated by author Kate Messer.
5. Ted Ed Talks/Videos. I use these videos all the time as they are well done, engaging and include review and discussion questions. The Electoral College video was a game changer for me in teaching lower and middle school students how our voting system works.
6. AISL BLOG! I refer to it constantly – thank you!
7. Twitter. This is my go to and sole social media platform. Twitter provides me with a plethora of information from the authors, librarians, educators and colleagues I follow.
8. Shannon Miller. Her blog, TheLibraryVoice, is outstanding. Shannon shares technology tools, incredible library rotation choice boards, and ways to connect with classroom content.
9. ReadBrightly. I love ReadBrightly! I use it to locate book recommendations, printables, activities based on books, and read alouds.
10. DAISLA – We are a very supportive and flourishing group of Dallas and Fort Worth librarians. Our organization is beginning to offer more PD opportunities including guest speakers, virtual field trips (for now), and member presentations.
I continue to be inspired and energized by the people who share their brilliance and creativity! And, to the many librarians who have taken the time to mentor me, particularly Renee Chevallier!
While this might be the school year of the virtual author visit, in anticipation of better days ahead I would like to share some of the most impressive and memorable author visits I’ve experienced as a school librarian.
There is just no one like the inimitable Nathan Hale. In case you don’t know his work, Mr. Hale writes and illustrates graphic novels, most notably the nonfiction, history based Hazardous Tales series, ideal for students in grades three through five. He also writes and illustrates science fiction graphic novels and illustrates books for a variety of other authors. Nathan Hale is smart and quick; he “gets” kids, and knows how to keep them completely engaged. He draws “on the spot” requests, gifts his incredible autographed artwork to the library he’s visiting, and tells the funniest (but historically accurate) stories. Teachers in the audience laughed so hard, I saw tears. He is non-stop “on it” all day long and earns every penny of his commission. We plan to have Nathan Hale visit again, and I know many of you have had him visit your school more than once as well because he is just so entertaining and creative. And his books are exceptional!
Another absolutely hilarious author is Aaron Reynolds, and our day spent with him was positively delightful. My students have not forgotten his uproarious retellings of his Caldecott winner Creepy Carrots! and the ever popular Creepy Pair of Underwear! I am a huge fan of all of his books, and more importantly, my students are too. Mr. Reynolds was truly “in the zone” during the entire visit – role playing with the kids, engaging them with games, involving the teachers; smiles all around. He is one of the authors that was visibly sweating with the effort of enthusiastically and continuously sharing his talents.
Lauren Oliver came at no cost to the high school where I worked seven years ago. She was gracious and very sharp. She shared her outstanding writing strategies with a very large group, and outlined how her career as a writer evolved. The audience really liked her, and I thought she was quite friendly and her presentation very relevant for our group of “would be” writers.
Chris Grabenstein also came to us at a very discounted price. I had filled out a contest entry on his website and sent it to his agent. Once it was accepted, our school was responsible only for his travel expenses. Mr. Granbenstein is all about the kids. He wanted to eat lunch with them, visit classrooms, offer extra writing workshops – and he did all of those things along with his three fantastic presentations to large groups. Mr. Grabenstein has a background in advertising, television and radio and this is most evident in the comedic spirit of his delivery. I am a huge fan of his work and his commitment to kids and reading. He is a kind, funny, multi-talented author.
James Ponti came to our school last year and he is definitely one of the most kind-hearted people I have ever met. His books are outstanding and enormously popular at Oakridge. Mr. Ponti wanted to provide a useful and memorable experience to our students. We visited classes together and ate with a group of students in the lunchroom. Mr. Ponti also spoke to a group of upper school students currently taking a writing seminar, and were expected to complete a novel by the school year. He thoughtfully spent some time with a staff member who was in the midst of self-publishing a book, answering some questions she had. Now that the New York Times bestseller City Spies is on the market our students were thrilled because he read the first chapter to them before it was published. We have all of his books and this one is consistently checked out in ebook and print.
Jerry Palotta came last to our school year also, another exceptionally big-hearted person. His Who Would Win books are “top checkouts” in our library. He also ate lunch with the kids in the cafeteria, and graciously went out to dinner with a second grader and his family. Another first grader was sick the day of the visit, and devastated because Mr. Pallotta is his favorite author. In response, Mr. Pallotta sent the student a video introducing himself, reading one of his books, and subsequently sending him one of his signed books.
Sarah Weeks came to our school right before So B. It: A Novel was being released in theaters. A group of middle school students and I met Sarah at a local theater showing the movie in its early release. She is so smart, articulate, great with the kids, and someone I would enjoy hanging out with! She shared a cool story arc activity with the students that I’ve used repeatedly with my classes. We met another school librarian for a leisurely dinner which included wine and casual, comfortable conversation. It was a terrific evening, Ms. Weeks is the most down to earth, transparent and genuine person.
We were thrilled to have Gordon Korman visit us two years ago because our lower and middle school students voraciously read everything he writes. Restart is my personal favorite, and while I appreciate his incredible talents as an author, he didn’t impress me as much as a guest presenter to our middle school students. He was the most expensive author we’ve hosted yet we did not feel we received our “money’s worth.” While other authors arrived with interactive slide shows and activities and spent as much time with the students as possible, Mr. Korman did not connect with the kids in these ways. Yet he certainly fulfilled his contract obligations.
Finally, I have to give a shout out to Fort Worth Country Day Librarian and AISL member Tammy Wolford. She arranges many of these events so that local independent school librarians can share authors and costs. I would love to hear about the authors and illustrators who inspired your students, whether in a virtual or on site visit.
