Back when the author was the school librarian at Little Elementary School in Arlington, Texas, she started writing and publishing books for children. She had completed her master's and PhD in Library Science from Texas Woman's University while working full time, and when she finally finished, she had such well-honed time management skills that she…

Secondary school libraries often look much like research centers with banks of computers linked to databases related to curriculum topics. A glance into the library shows teens using online resources for research while trying to check their MySpace or Facebook page when they think the teacher or librarian is not looking. The librarian's weekly…

How can library media specialists encourage kids to read outside the curriculum and maintain this reading beyond elementary school? What does it take to get children involved in recreational reading and turn their focus to books? At Sycamore Elementary School in Avon, Indiana, library media specialists have organized reading programs which have…

In high school students get tied up in extracurricular activities and have little time for pleasure reading. It is true that with rigorous academic schedules they have little time for pleasure reading. Thus began a conversation with a sophomore English teacher at the author's high school. As they were discussing the plight of free reading he was…

This article illustrates how the use of the basic elements of a story can help create an event that will stimulate imagination and encourage further reading. Margaret Robison, the librarian at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind (VSDB) in Staunton, Virginia, decided that for Teen Read Week she would use a popular series as a bridge to…

A central goal of most library media programs is to inspire lifelong readers, who recognize and value the cognitive, affective, and even physical experiences they obtain through reading. Unfortunately, national surveys have reported that reading for pleasure is on the decline, especially among children and young adults. Many young people are…

Students and teachers are feeling the brunt of "No Child Left Behind," trying to make meaningful academic growth with ever decreasing resources. School library media specialist are considered one of the most valuable resources in any school building. As the ultimate "resource manager," library media specialists can contribute…

As the end of the calendar year approaches, many begin to think about the holiday season. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's all bring an opportunity to bring family and friends together. Libraries will be stocked with titles to help folks remember classic stories and introduce them to new tales as well. Educators can use holiday books…

Many secondary students have given up the joy of reading. When asked why they don't read for pleasure, students came up with many different reasons, the first being lack of time. High school students are busy with after school jobs, sports, homework, etc. With the growing number of students enrolled in AP classes, not only is there not much time…

In a time of No Child Left Behind and strict accountability measures for teachers and schools, the active engagement of learners is at the heart of effective literacy instruction. Educators strive to make their students competent, independent readers. They want them to read for personal purposes, such as information seeking or pleasure. One way to…

This article is a discussion of authors and controversial novels that should be on the top of library media specialists' reading list if they work with high-school-age teens. "Controversial" is not a dirty word, it is an enticement! The goal of library media specialists is to get teens who may be burned out with reading due to incentive programs…

The ways to proceed with the summer reading list, which will be able to locate some of the books at the public library during the summer months, are presented. The task of creating a reading list is considered to be difficult as there are thousands of books on the market based on reading for pleasure.

Language arts teachers and library media specialists bear the responsibility of teaching students how to properly feed their brains. In this article, the author describes how she teaches her students to make wise choices when selecting books. Furthermore, she presents the "Brain Food Pyramid" model that looks similar to the food pyramid but it…

Children's choice awards are intended to encourage children, primary age through teens, to read quality literature for enjoyment. The reasons for joining a children's choice program before deciding to participate are presented.

School library media specialists are the first to witness the malaise that permeates American schools threatening the future of our society. Believing that personal lack of aspirations, our failure to encourage reading for pure enjoyment, and society's disrespect toward education has left a void in our children that is filled with apathy.