Day 1 of #NCTE16: Honesty, Hope, & Renewal

Hi, friends. I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I always start the school year with the best of intentions, and then the semester starts and undermines these intentions. Someday I'll figure out the school-writing-life balance. Additionally, the news of late has made it hard to write.

However, I am writing this from my hotel room in Atlanta, where I am for the 2016 NCTE Annual Convention. While I had a hard time to muster up my usual enthusiasm for the conference this year, today's events reaffirmed the importance of having organizations like NCTE. Today, I had the chance to see Shakespeare's First Folio and participate in a workshop led by some excellent scholar-teachers from the Folger Shakespeare Library. I heard Doug Hesse's moving and powerful speech regarding the importance of teaching writing and critical thinking during a time when these things might seem optional (or even unnecessary) rather than fundamental. I got to see Maureen Downey interview Diane Ravitch regarding the state of education and the possible changes that might be coming under the new administration in a way that was both honest and hopeful.

Banned Books Week 2016

Today is the start of Banned Books Week for 2016, and as I've written in 2014 and 2015, it is a week and a topic that is near and dear to my heart. This year's topic, which is spotlighting diversity, is especially timely and relevant. Research indicates that minority authors are often victims of having their books banned or challenged. Additionally, the books that are most likely to be banned are books that focus on some type of diversity. Although this isn't surprising, it is disheartening, since recent events as well as many of the close-minded sentiments that are said in this country and in the world illustrate the importance of reading books from diverse perspectives and about people who are different from us. While I wish that this focus wasn't needed, I'm thrilled that this year's Banned Books Week emphasizes it, and I hope that it helps continue the dialogue about diversity in books.

Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association

YA Book Review: Ghosts

When I found out that Raina Telgemeier had a new book coming out this fall, I immediately added it to my wishlist. I always enjoy her work (as a former backstage theatre nerd, Drama rings particularly true to me), and I admire her ability to deal with topics in a way that is age appropriate and realistic. This ability comes to the forefront in Ghosts, her latest book, as she addresses themes of illness and death with compassion and sensitivity while tempering the seriousness of the issues with humor.

August's and September's Online Professional Development Opportunities

Despite my best intentions, class prep and beginning-of-the-semester meetings got in the way of posting this month. However, before the month is out, I wanted to do a quick round-up of the upcoming professional development opportunities that August and September still have in store!

Book Round-Up for August 29: Finishing Up Summer Reading

Something I've learned about myself is that I have a latent competitive streak. While it doesn't always manifest itself, it can be a dangerous and powerful thing when it does emerge. It doesn't translate to sports (at which I am terrible at) or even in situations that seem competitive (think trivia night contents). However, it comes out in full force when I am competing against myself. This is particularly true when it comes to reading and books. I keep up with the books I read each year on my personal LibraryThing account, and I always want to beat my previous year's tally.

This usually translates to a great excuse to spend lots of quality time reading during the summer, which is really one of the only times I have to dedicate myself to pleasure reading for an extended period. However, summer is also a time to read books for the new school year, particularly in preparation for the YAL and trade book suggestions I provide for my students. So, without further ado, here are some books I read this summer but that I didn't write about in another round-up.

picture from
Jacqueline Woodson's website

Two Exciting Online Professional Opportunities for August 2016

I can't believe today is the first day of August (seriously, where did July go?)! This means that the start of school is just around the corner for most of us, and it also signals a prime time for some before school inspiration and professional development. Fortunately, there are two excellent (and free) online opportunities coming soon. This means that you can get ready for the school year and hear from some wonderful speakers without having to leave your couch. While I'll be posting about other PD opportunities later this week, I wanted to highlight these two before it is too late (as you'll see, one starts tomorrow).

EdmodoCon 2016 is August 2 (aka tomorrow) and 3. The conference focuses on how teachers can use Edmodo and other digital tools and resources to improve students' learning. Both days of the conference features numerous speakers and sessions on a number of topics related to education and education technology.

SLJTeen Live is on August 10, 2016. As I've mentioned before, this is a great opportunity to listen to authors speak about their work (this year's keynote speakers are Meg Medina and Maggie Stiefvater) and to interact with young adult publishers to learn about the different books and materials they offer.

Book Round-Up for June 27: Exploring Superheroes

I've always been intrigued by literary criticism and analysis of popular culture, and lately, I've been indulging this interest by reading books that examine the meaning and reach of superheroes. In many ways, these books act both as literary analysis and social commentary. While literature, and the arts and humanities, have always shaped and reflected culture, this seems to be especially true when it comes to thinking about comics. Superman, Batman, and others not only cater to the needs and interests of their readers, they also leave indelible marks on popular culture and society's mindset.

The following books would be great to offer as options for independent reading or as a way of engaging reluctant readers (even though they are a bit on the long side). Additionally, they can provide a fun way of introducing students to literary criticism and analysis while using texts and subjects students are familiar with.