…changing the world, one reader at a time.
I’ve got a lot of opinions, my friends. Find topics that I’m passionate about, personal essays, and Things that Made My Brain Explode here.
The other day, a sixth grader approached me when I was standing at the circulation desk. “Have you read Mountain Dog?” He asked. Students approach me about books like this all the time. It’s my favorite part of the day. Sometimes it’s to talk about how much they loved a book – sometimes it’s to […]
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When I first started working with kids, I was under the naive assumption that parents and teachers had complete power over the opinions of the children that they work with. “My students will always be kind and patient and tolerant,” I thought, “because that is what I will teach them.” Cute, right? Enter: Reality. Children […]
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It’s time for some real talk. I have to admit something. Something that most teachers and librarians will never admit. It’s not a particularly popular opinion amongst educators. But I’m not ashamed. I’ll shout it from the rooftops: I love graphic novels. Seriously. I do. Give me all the epic adventure series, the cartoon fractured […]
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Note: This post is intended to be a resource for parents, educators, and students, instead of a personal reflection. If you would like to hear my personal feelings about 13 Reasons Why or engage in a discussion about difficult topics in young adult literature, I invite you to contact me privately via email at fitzbetweentheshelves@gmail.com. When […]
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Have you ever seen this viral Amazon commercial from 2015? If you’ve ever binge-watched a TV show (I’m looking at you, Gilmore Girls), then you know that yes, indeed, the struggle IS real. When you’re attached to a fictional world and invested in what happens to the people inside of it, it can be hard to […]
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Social media might be a popular way to unplug and waste time, but if you know where to look, it’s filled with nerds and educators sharing ideas and swapping favorite titles. My favorite social media platform, Instagram, delivers a feed full of colorful book covers and succinct reviews right to my fingertips. What is library […]
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UPDATE 10/14 – As the upcoming election looms, I have been receiving this question more and more often. I have added a few new resources to the bottom of the list, especially targeted to parents and teachers who are interested in discussing tolerance with children, and helping them to work through fear caused by what […]
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The other day, a few coworkers and I found ourselves in a raucous debate about literature. We bantered back and forth – what does that term encompass? What does literature really mean? It started good-naturedly but, before long, the conversation got heated. One teacher in particular, an accomplished reader and educator of 10+ years, had a clear cut definition – […]
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If you followed along with my book reviews over the summer (or have ever talked to me for more than five minutes in person), then you know that I’m a huge Kwame Alexander fan. Okay, maybe huge is an understatement. He makes me swoon. I write his name in cursive all over my school notebooks. […]
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This summer, I challenged myself to read 30 books. Between the making and the biking, I was ready to do what I challenge my students to do – practice, work toward becoming a better reader, and find the joy in discovering a new story. The challenge was important to me on multiple levels. After a school […]
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