Every year in late January or early February, children all over the country celebrate the 100th day of school with all sorts of clever projects — bringing 100 items to school, wearing “100th-day” glasses, listing 100 things they love to do. Why not add a reading activity to this list? Ask a group of younger students to read 100 books on the 100th day of school in one hour!
Those of us immersed in the world of children’s literature look forward to ALA’s Youth Media Awards for originality and creativity in children and young adult literature. One award that KidLit aficionados are focused upon is the Caldecott Medal, given to the most distinguished picture book of the year.
Nobody likes to get in trouble at school; getting caught by a teacher doing something you are not supposed to is never fun. But getting caught reading by a Mystery Reader? That's a different story.
Every librarian faces the question of what to do with the old, outdated, unused or damaged books weeded from their shelves. Give them away? Recycle them? Throw them out? One fun possibility is to repurpose old books into book art, allowing the pages of an old book to transform into something new.
Is there anything sweeter than a new baby? The arrival of a new child is always cause for excitement — especially because it means there is a new reader to welcome into the world!
As library professionals, we feel compelled to stay abreast of new publications, award-winning titles and the latest installment in a beloved series. But the reality is that keeping up with so much reading can be overwhelming.
Here are some tips to help library professionals find ways to conquer their ever-growing stack of books to read.
Books and games — a winning combination. With minimal cost and prep time, you can create literary challenges that are not only fun, but that reinforce kids' perceptions of themselves as readers. Here are four easy-to-plan, easy-to-implement, low-cost ideas.
Birthdays are a big deal for just about every kid in America — anticipating the day, hoping for presents, making a wish and blowing out the candles. Why not prolong the excitement of the special day by inviting your students or patrons to celebrate a birthday with the library?
Are your students hungry for good books? Do your patrons eagerly devour the newest titles? Do you ever wish you had a recipe for increasing kids’ appetite for reading?
As soon as the library doors swung open at 8 a.m., 10-year-old Olivia entered the library. She didn’t walk quietly across the room; instead, she stomped her feet as she walked toward me, calling out, “I get so mad at the characters!” 
