Page 22 - Blog

As award-winning nonfiction children’s author Melissa Stewart discusses in her recent article for the School Library Journal and her webcast with JLG’s Kayleigh Hanlin, some young readers associate nonfiction reading with the research they do for school projects, which they often find boring.

But the good news is, there are effective ways to help your struggling readers learn to enjoy nonfiction titles.

Twice a year, in April and October, we open our warehouse to librarians to shop our previously selected titles for only $5. During this two-day event, we have the privilege of hearing stories of the amazing work librarians are doing every day. One specific customer this year brought her teen advisory board along for the trip - in a school bus!

You’ve heard it all before:

• I just don’t like reading
• I get bored and can’t finish a book
• I’ve got too much reading for school now
• If the book doesn’t grab me in the first couple of pages, I’m over it
• I’ve got soccer practice, and piano lessons, and chores to do. Who’s got time to read a book?
• Can’t I just watch the movie?

But I’ve got proof that there are kids who love to read, and kids who just haven’t found the right book. This school year, my fourth in middle school, has turned into a powerhouse year for author visits, reading, and talking about books. What started out with a highly anticipated (involving months of preparation) visit by reading and writing rock star, Jason Reynolds, morphed into a year of eight other authors coming to my school. I can tell you in another post how to make something similar happen, but for now, let me tell you how it engaged reluctant readers in ways I’ve never seen happen before, and how you can tap into the same kind of energy right now.

First, let...

As you may know, JLG is recognized for selecting the best books and placing them in your hands for your readers. However, what many of us are unfamiliar with is the process behind picking these amazing, potentially award-winning titles. I sat down with Liz Gavril, executive editor at JLG, to learn more about the secretive world of picking books.

“Nevertheless, She Persisted: Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination Against Women” is the 2018 Theme for National Women’s History Month. 

I sat down with Columbus mom blogger Julie Miller to uncover what type of library programs attract parents, discuss social media tips, and learn how to promote to bloggers. Julie is a Wooster, Ohio native, who started her career in the library world, working summers at the Wayne County Library while in college. Julie started her blog What Should We Do Today? after becoming a full-time stay at home mom, and has been featured on NBC News 4, Columbus Moms Blog, and CAP4KIDS. 

Many webcasts are at 3:00PM when I’m teaching. What can I do so that I don’t miss them?