Articles and news stories are constantly pushing me to consider something new, broaden my perspective, or change the way I look at an issue. My husband likes to joke that my brain explodes with something new on a daily basis. These articles – and the brain explosions that result from them – are so beneficial for me that I wanted to create a place where I could share them, in case you might want to read them, too. Learn more about Things that Made My Brain Explode – and see past posts – here. 

Here’s a recent batch of Things that Made my Brain Explode:

• Shout it from the rooftops, send this article to everyone you know, print it out and hang it in your office/house/classroom! They were raised to be ‘colorblind’ — but now more white parents are learning to talk about race. The world has changed since we were kids, and parenting has changed along with it. Colorblindness is not the answer.
• 6 Of The Best Books By Autistic Authors, You HAVE to Read. Building empathy through diverse reading isn’t just about race – neurodiversity is important, too.
• 2019’s best Books for a Better World, curated by book whisperer Donalyn Miller. 

• Don’t overlook your school librarian, they’re the unsung heroes of literacy. I look forward to the day when lovely little articles like this won’t have to exist because everyone will say, “Are you nuts? Of course we appreciate our librarians. Now say something we don’t know yet.“

• It’s Women’s History Month! Women have been kicking ass in science and math for decades, and our cultural expectations and stereotypes are just starting to catch up: What does a scientist look like? Children are drawing women more than ever before. How are you helping the kids in your life to make the connection between women and science?

• 60 Minutes highlights the gender gap in tech — that’s a good thing, right? The inimitable Kim Wilkens responds to 60 Minutes attempting to tackle her life’s work in an hour.

• The Growth Mindset Problem. It seems like there’s an awful lot of variables and sweeping generalizations in this article. I can’t quite put my finger on what made me 🤨. What do you think?

• “One of the design teams approached me with an idea: every community needs a reliable gathering place. It should be open daily and fully accessible to everyone. It should be staffed by trained professionals who welcome people of all ages, ethnic groups, social classes, and abilities. It should be capacious, with flexible space that can be adapted to suit local needs and used during emergencies. […] It was a terrific idea, I told them. But if they looked more closely, they’d see that most American communities already have these kinds of places. We call them branch libraries, and we walk by them every day.” Why Libraries Will Save the World (If We Let Them).

• NASA’s First All-Female Spacewalk Will Happen During Women’s History Month. It’s about time.

• Tennessee principal reads books online so students always have a bedtime story. This is the third lovely story I’ve seen about a principal reading stories online for their students. It’s such a sweet idea – but librarians are worried about the copyright implications, as publishers have been known to go after readers sharing stories online for much less. What do you think?

• Is your kiddo still talking about how awesome Misty Copeland is? (Our kindergarteners definitely are.) Check out this awesome little interview with Ingrid Silva, another beautifully strong Black ballet dancer.

• 11 Books With South Asian Characters You Should Read in 2019. I just finished The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali, and it was great.

• Angie Thomas spoke to Trevor Noah about telling uncomfortable stories and her new book, On the Come Up.

• Sisters Launch Library Collection to Empower Muslim Girls Through Books.
• These New Yorkers have been doing the same thing for 50, 60, 70 years — and love it too much to stop. Can you imagine doing the same job for 70 years?
• Mountaintop Montessori donates check towards Bennett’s Village. Way to go, Mountaintop Montessori! And here’s an update on Bennett’s Village’s next steps, from co-founder (and Bennett’s dad) Brian Gibney.
• Trans kids’ book ‘Julian is a Mermaid’ is winning hearts and awards. This book was an instant hit in our library. It has also received some pushback, as it is not an OwnVoices story. Where do you stand on Julian?
• Graphic Novels Belong in Your English Class. Here’s How to Use Them. A great case for using graphic novels in the classroom – including info on linking them to mandated standards and an easy process for teaching students how to read them properly.

• Students will be walking out of class on Friday to protest climate change thanks to this amazing kid. Ready to get riled up about climate change? The videos of this young activist’s speeches are pretty unbelievable.