Posts Tagged children’s bookstores

Revitalizing the Culture of Reading

Picture a 12-year-old. It’s 8 p.m. on a school night. Homework is finished, responsibilities have been fulfilled, and it’s wind-down time. What will they choose to do with this time? According to current surveys and sales records, it’s unlikely that this young person will be picking up a book to read.

Boy reading a book

“Is There a Reading Recession?”  This is the title of a recent article shared on the Scholastic Blog. It echoes the concerns expressed in a previous Mixed-Up Files post about “The Middle Grade Slump.” A documented decrease in middle grade book sales is a symptom. The real issue is the sharp decline in the amount of reading that kids up to the age of 18 engage in for pleasure.

 

Maybe reading for pleasure is a thing of the past. It’s a hobby. There are other hobbies. Reading is just a skill-set learned in school, right? Wrong. The benefits of reading for pleasure are broad and well-documented. Reading for pleasure builds empathy, social adjustment, and self-esteem. Research has shown that reading for pleasure boosts academic achievement and is associated with overall success in life.

 

However, according to a National Literacy Trust survey, children’s engagement and enjoyment in reading are the lowest they’ve been in two decades. What can be done to reverse this trend? We need to revitalize the culture of reading, and it’s up to adults to lead the way. 

 

Parents

Parent reading to baby

Parents are the most important stakeholders in creating a culture of reading. From the earliest ages, before children have even developed language, books should be shared. Sharing a book between parent and child enriches children in multiple ways. It builds vocabulary, introduces children to concepts of print, and creates a positive emotional climate around reading. As children age, even if they can’t remember these shared experiences, they are stronger readers who maintain the positive feelings developed in that early emotional context. 

 

Even when children begin to read independently, it’s important to continue to read TO the big kids. When adults read aloud, they model prosody, which is the rhythm and intonation we use to be expressive with language. They model respect for the act of reading and appreciation for books. Children’s vocabulary and comprehension skills are built through listening, and the positive emotional climate around the act of reading is nurtured and sustained.

 

Visiting libraries and bookstores sends an unspoken message that books have value and that reading is part of your family culture. Parents are the most crucial influences in creating a culture of reading, and by reading to, reading with, and reading alongside children, parents demonstrate a dedication to and appreciation for reading.

 

Teachers and Schools

Teacher reading to class

As a veteran teacher, I can personally attest to the importance of classroom libraries, shared read-alouds, and a dedicated time for daily individual reading. However, increased demands on instructional time creates overburdened schedules, and current concerns over book challenges have created a culture of fear in many schools.

 

Most educators understand that teaching reading skills must go hand-in-hand with fostering reading engagement. Literacy-rich environments are necessary in order for students to develop as readers. But teachers can’t do this alone. Parents and administrators must support immersive literary atmospheres in classrooms. 

 

Classroom libraries should be well-stocked with a diverse selection of genres and reading levels so that students can identify their own preferences as readers. Virtual and in-person author visits generate great hype around books and should be scheduled throughout the year. Grants, partnerships with independent bookstores, and relationships with businesses and community organizations can help fund author events. 

 

Finally, teachers who develop a positive climate around books are those who model a love of reading. They read aloud to students daily and build connection and community through literature. They talk about reading, discuss books they love, and provide recommendations based on students’ individual interests and preferences.

 

Librarians and Booksellers

shelves with books, red seats, people reading

Let’s create some hype around books! The July 8, 2024 issue of Publisher’s Weekly showcased the activities of some forward-thinking booksellers who have been successful at revitalizing reading among young patrons. Subscription boxes, themed dinners, and author visits have all proven effective in engaging young readers in the pleasure of reading.

 

Big box stores are now selling kids’ books, and the accessibility of literature at the same place where families might be shopping for clothing, school supplies, hardware, or groceries deserves attention. These stores should be encouraged to provide a wide variety of books for every age and type of reader. 

 

Libraries can (and usually do) engage in programming designed to inspire a love of reading. Book clubs, community reads, and thematic events can draw young readers in and help them connect with literature. Reading aloud to the youngest readers while also providing a safe space for teen readers is a true balancing act. As showcased at the recent ALA conference, librarians are heroes, whether or not they wear capes.

 

It’s Time for Action

Let’s return to that 12-year-old. Maybe it’s laughable to assume that there’s any downtime. Between extracurricular activities, often-excessive amounts of homework, and the lure of ever-present electronics, even if there is downtime, why would a kid choose to read? Our culture has changed…but it’s not the kids who changed it.

 

The benefits of reading for pleasure are well-documented, and the trend away from reading for pleasure is not shifting toward the positive. It’s time to reverse the trend. A cultural revitalization that includes an appreciation for books and a habit of reading for pleasure is needed, and it’s up to the adults to make it happen. 

STEM Tuesday– Survival Science — Christine Taylor-Butler

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today I’m doing something different. I’m not interviewing a different author. I’m going to use the time to talk about writing nonfiction and in particular, the books I wrote as part the “Save The . . .” series developed by Chelsea Clinton and Penguin Random House. The reality is, that in studying and understanding these animals, we may in fact, be learning how to save ourselves.

How I got started: I grew up in an inner city environment surrounded by overachieving nerds at a time when the Civil Rights Act was still being debated. Back then I didn’t think much about what it took to survive. All the basic necessities were available. By the eighth grade I had a math teacher, Walter Havenhill. According to him, I was the only student who took his extra credit problems seriously. So he recommended I look into a school called MIT when I was ready for college. Years later, that’s where I received two degrees. It was during that time I realized my life was about problem solving. Back then there were no computers or cell phones. There was paper, pencil and libraries. There was no topic called STEM/STEAM. Everyone tinkered and experimented and created.

As I grew older I saw a shift in the way students were learning. I had been a college interviewer in the evenings. Over time I found quite a few students focused on how to get into a good college by being the “best” numerically. Most read only what was required to pass a test. But there were others, a small minority, who were exploring the world outside of the classroom. They had inquisitive minds and were sometimes looking around their homes for resources to use. Or going out and knocking on doors to find out how they could help on a project. Those are the students I left engineering to write for. Most of my published work is now nonfiction.

Animal survival:  A few years ago, Penguin Random House asked if I wanted to join a group of authors writing books about endangered animals with Chelsea Clinton. The project looked not only at explaining the animals and their survival instincts, but why they became endangered and how their disappearance created unexpected consequences for the human race. Even better, there was a section on how young readers could get involved.  I was all in.

The books are broken into several parts:

  1. Who the animals are and where to find them
  2. What do we know about these animals? What do they eat, where do they live, and how do they raise their young? What are methods they use to survive their environments?
  3. What happened to make them endangered?
  4. The race to save the animals. Who is helping and what can YOU do to participate.
  5. Resources so you can look up some of the information yourself.

Tiger coverIn Save The . . . Tigers. I learned that once upon a time there were enough tigers living in the wild to fill the Roman Colosseum — twice. Think about that. That was about 100,000 tigers. But now there are less than 4,000 among the six remaining species living outside of a zoo or sanctuary. All survive in various parts of Asia, that range from moist hot rainforests, to cold Russian climates.

Tigers are apex predators. That means they are at the top of the food chain and can briefly run faster than a car drives on a street or highway. They are heavy, so they don’t run for long periods of time. Just short bursts. And they sleep a lot to conserve energy for hunts. Mostly during the day. Hunting is hard work. Tigers are only successful in one out of every twenty attempts to catch prey. And yet, tigers don’t tend to eat humans. They’d rather ambush other animals.

But their bodies and furs became valuable to humans. Hunting them for sport reduced their numbers. Humans moving into their habitats to build farms and homes made things worse. It reduced the prey available for tigers to eat as well. Even so, there are now people studying the animals and helping to increase their numbers. And they’re learning a lot in the process. For instance, did you know that tigers (as well as all cat species) have structures in their eyes that we don’t have? That’s why the eyes glow in light at night. Tigers hunt in dark, so their night vision is better than ours. So watch out!

Orange and black tiger

Photo by Kartik Iyer on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Whales coverSave the . . . Blue Whales was harder because blue whales are rarely photographed. They are the largest mammal living in the ocean. Some grow as long as 110 feet. That is as long as a 737 airplane. But water covers about 70 percent of the planet. And our oceans are very deep. So the whales weren’t easy to find or catch. A lot of what scientists knew initially was from examining dead bodies and guessing. As humans created steam powered ships it became easier to hunt them. Whale blubber was used for fuel and explosives. Other parts of the whale bodies were used for clothing and umbrellas.

Scientists discovered that by reducing the numbers of whales, we hurt the planet. Before they were hunted, whales removed as much carbon from the atmosphere as all the forests on the planet – millions of tons. They ate krill and stored the krill’s carbon in their bodies. You would have to eat 1,000 cheeseburgers to consume the calories a whale eats in a single gulp of krill. And those whales take a lot of gulps per meal. When blue whales dive and poop those actions mix and distribute nutrients throughout the ocean. Now whale numbers are fewer and carbon dioxide on Earth is increasing. Eighty-eight countries have stopped whaling. Three continue to hunt: Japan, Norway and Iceland. There is pressure for them to decrease the amount.

blue whale

Blue Whale sculpture at the Smithsonian

Click here for an interesting video on Blue Whales

Polar Bears coverLast was Save the . . . Polar Bears. With warming climates these bears are at risk, not because of hunting but because of lack of food and sea ice in the Arctic regions. Most bears can eat a variety of foods. Polar bears are different. They eat mostly seals. One seal can last a polar bear for eleven days. The polar bear body can make fresh water from the seals as well. Also, did you know that a pregnant polar bear can go without food for the last months of her pregnancy? She’s pretty hungry when the cubs are born, so hunting seals becomes a priority. She will teach the cubs to hunt when they are older. When they’re old enough, they’ll move away and start living on their own. But seals live and hide their young on sea ice. With global warming, there’s less of that ice to find. When food is scarce polar bears have been known to enter villages. But that’s very rare.

When I first started researching this book that there were 19 populations of polar bears being studied. But NASA had been secretly tracking a 20th population for several years. Those polar bears were found with the help of indigenous tribes. They didn’t rely on sea ice for survival. Could studying the new population give us clues on how to save all the other groups of polar bears too?

polar bears

Photo by Hans-Jurgen Mager on Unsplash

Who is tracking?

There are many organizations, sanctuaries and museums listed in the books. Here are a few to get started.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) keeps track of efforts around the world. They’ve studied 138,000 species so far and rates them based on level of endangerment. There is a significant amount of information on animals you might be interested in studying. The link takes you to their “red list” for endangered animals.

Polar Bears International. They have scientists, Zoom sessions, web cams and tons of information kids might find useful (teachers and librarians too). Too much to describe here.

The Global Tiger Forum is an international group working to conserve tigers in the wild.

International Whaling Commission – has 88 member countries and is responsible for whale management and conservation.

Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s global efforts help save wildlife species from extinction. They train future generations of conservationists at research facilities around the world.

What can you do? There are many ways but here are a few tips to get started:

Recycling is a good easy way to start. A lot of animals are harmed by plastics which make their way into the environment and into the oceans. Better yet, can you reduce the amount of plastic you buy? How about filling a water bottle that can be washed and reused?

Don’t buy clothes or jewelry made from animal parts. That decreases the reasons to hunt animals.

Donate to organizations that help save animals. Even a small amount will help increase animal chances of survival. And the money will help create or sustain habitats that provide a safe environment for animals to raise their young.

Look at ingredient labels on foods and other household items. Avoid ones made with palm oil. Healthy forest habitats are torn down and replaced with palm oil farms. That not only hurts the animals but hurts our environment as well. Forest are like lungs for the planet.

Know that a single individual can make a huge difference in healing our planet. Learning about animals is great way to start. The bonus is that many of their survival skills can prove useful if you’re ever in danger. Where to find shelter, food and warmth. How to avoid predators. Don’t forget, humans are animals too.

 

author christine Taylor-butler

Photo by Kecia Stovall

Your host is Christine Taylor-Butler, MIT nerd and author of Bathroom Science, Sacred Mountain: Everest, Genetics, and many other nonfiction books for kids. She is also the author of the middle grade sci-fi series The Lost Tribes. Follow @ChristineTB on Twitter and/or @ChristineTaylorButler on Instagram

Three Cheers for the STEM Tuesday Team!

Save the Polar Bears

 

 

 

 

 

As we come up on our seventh anniversary of STEM Tuesday (yes – SEVEN years!) I thought it would be a great time to remind you of the AMAZING authors who make STEM Tuesday possible.

The STEM Tuesday blog posts are written by a group of award-winning children’s authors, teachers, and writers who are passionate about presenting STEM/STEAM topics in a way that kids of all ages will find exciting, inspiring, and engaging.

You can find more information about each of them by visiting their websites, purchasing some of their books, and also inviting them to your schools and conferences.

 

And now….. Three Cheers for the STEM Tuesday TEAM!

Week 1: Book List 

Author Sue HeavenrichSue Heavenrich

Sue Heavenrich is an independent environmental journalist and children’s writer. She has written for a variety of magazines including Ranger Rick, Highlights, Cobblestone, and Organic Gardening as well as local and regional newspapers. When not writing, she’s either in the garden or tromping through the woods. www.sueheavenrich.com

13 Ways to Eat a Fly

 

Writer Maria Marshall

Maria Marshall

@MariaMarshall_

For as long as anyone can remember, Maria had a book in her hands. During the summer of herthird grade year, she read every book in the Library’s children’s section A to Z. She loved to write, make up stories, and create elaborate treasure hunts and maps for my brother and sister. So she went to college and wrote for four years to earn a degree in English and Political Science. Then she took my love of writing and telling stories to Law School. Maria is passionate about using picture and chapter books to make reading and nature fun for children. Check out her Picture Book Buzz Blog

 

 

Shruthi Rao authorShruthi Rao

Shruthi was that kid who actually enjoyed writing essays in school! She wrote her first novel when she was eleven. It was an Enid Blyton rip-off. It was terrible (so she says). She didn’t write stories for a long time after that. Instead, Shruthi got a Master’s degree in Energy Engineering from one of the top schools of India, and worked in the IT industry for four years.

And then, in the 2000s, she rediscovered her love for writing. Shruthi blogged at Hallucinations! and wrote short stories and essays for a number of publications. She now writes books for children of all ages, both fiction and non-fiction. www.shruthi-rao.com

KadooBoo! book

 

Susan SummersSusan Summers

Susan started her career as a zookeeper and enjoyed working with polar bears, wolves, and owls – to name just a few of her favorite animals. Interest in science and nature firmly took hold and she followed that career by becoming a wildlife biologist. In this engaging field, she was able to participate in research on a variety of wildlife, including bears, bats, and fabulous birds! She wanted to share her interest in nature with children, so she got a Master’s in Education, and went on to teach ecology as a museum educator. She had this rewarding career for over 20 years. Currently, she is focused on becoming an author, writing about science and nature among other things. In the meantime, she lives happily with her husband of 30 years and with two fur children that she’d love to tell you about. She’s thrilled to be part of STEM Tuesday [and looks forward to sharing her enjoyment of this topic with you].

Science magazine

Science Scope

 

 

 

 

 

Callie DeanCallie Dean

Callie Dean is a musician, writer, educator, and program evaluator. She teaches applied research at Eastern University and is passionate about the role of the arts in effecting community transformation. She lives in Shreveport, La., with her husband and two sons.  She is the director of CYBER.ORG, a STEM education organization with a national network of more than 25,000 K-12 teachers. Callie has written a wide variety of K-12 STEM curriculum materials, including nine cybersecurity badges for the Girl Scouts of the USA. She’s an aspiring PB/MG author, a member of SCBWI, and a 2022 PBParty finalist. Her  areas of interest include technology, cybersecurity, citizen science, and the intersection of science with art.  www.sojo.net/biography/callie-dean

 

 

Author Lydia LukidisLydia Lukidis

Lydia Lukidis is the author of 48 trade and educational books, as well as 31 e-Books. Her latest STEM book, THE BROKEN BEES’ NEST (Kane Press, 2019), was nominated for a CYBILS Award, and her forthcoming STEM book, DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench will be published by Capstone in 2023. Lydia writes for children aged 3-12, and her artistic mandate is to inspire and enlighten. A science enthusiast from a young age, she now incorporates her studies in science and everlasting curiosity into her books. For more information, please visit www.lydialukidis.com.

broken Bees nest bookThe Space Rock Mystery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2:  In the Classroom 

JAnet Slingerland authorAtoms and Molecules Book
Janet Slingerland is the author of more than 20 books for readers in grades K through 12. Her favorite subjects include STEM, history, and the history of STEM.

Janet grew up reading, writing, and conducting science experiments. After working for 15 years writing computer programs, She started writing books.

 

 

Author Carla MooneyBook The Human Genome Carla Mooney 

@Carlawrites

Carla Mooney is an award-winning children’s author from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

She is the author of numerous nonfiction and fiction books and magazine articles for children and teens. She has won several nonfiction awards for her books.

 

 

author Karen Latchana Kenney

book Folding Tech   Karen Latchana Kenney

@KLatchanaKenney

Karen writes books about animals, and she looks for them wherever she  goes—from leafcutter ants trailing through the Amazon rain forest in Guyana, where she was born, to puffins in cliff-side burrows on the Irish island of Skellig Michael. She especially enjoys creating books about nature, biodiversity, conservation, and groundbreaking scientific discoveries—but also  civil rights, astronomy, historical moments, and many other topics.

 

 

Jenna GrodzikiJenna Grodinski

Jenna Grodzicki is the author of more than twenty fiction and nonfiction children’s books. Her books include Wild Style: Amazing Animal Adornments (Millbrook Press 2020) and I See Sea Food: Sea Creatures That Look Like Food (Millbrook Press 2019), the winner of the 2020 Connecticut Book Award in the Young Readers Nonfiction Category. Jenna lives near the beach with her husband and two children. In addition to being a writer, she is also a library media specialist at a K-4 school. To learn more, visit her website at www.jennagrodzicki.com.

I See Seafood book

Wild Style book

 

 

 

Week 3: Writing Tips & Resources

 

Writer Mike HaysMike Hays

@coachhays64

Mike Hays has worked hard from a young age to be a well-rounded individual. A well-rounded, equal opportunity sports enthusiasts, that is. If they keep a score, he’ll either watch it, play it, or coach it. He also is a history fanatic, especially regional history. A molecular microbiologist by day, middle-grade author, sports coach, and general good citizen by night.

 

 

Margo LemieuxMargo Lemieux

A recently retired professor of art, Margo is devoted to seeing that the A stays in STEAM. Science & technology need the heart that comes with art. It was lack of heart that led to the ecological crisis we have today. The process of creativity is closely related to that of scientific inquiry.

She is a  published picture book writer and illustrator, editor, poet, and amateur ukulele player. In her art projects, she often included science concepts as a way of connecting learning.

 

 

Week 4: Author Interviews

author christine Taylor-butler

Save the Polar Bears
Christine  has written more than 80 books including The Lost Tribe series. She has been an advocate for diversity in character representations and led by example.

Taylor-Butler majored in civil engineering and architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1981. She has written nonfiction for Scholastic, including for their True Book educational series.

 

 

Andi DiehnAndi Diehn

Andi Diehn grew up near the ocean chatting with horseshoe crabs and now lives in the mountains surrounded by dogs, cats, lizards, chickens, ducks, moose, deer, and bobcats, some of which help themselves to whatever she manages to grow in the garden. You are most likely to find her reading a book, talking about books, writing a book, or discussing politics with her sons. She has 18 children’s nonfiction books published or forthcoming. www.andidiehn.com

 

Space Adventurer Book Cool Women in Technology

 

And me,

author jennifer swanson

The Lost Forest book  Jennifer Swanson

@JenSwanBooks

Jennifer Swanson is the award winning author of over 40+ nonfiction books for children, mostly about science and technology. Jennifer’s love of STEM began when she started a science club in her garage at the age of 7. While no longer working from the garage, Jennifer’s passion for science and technology resonates in all her books but especially, BRAIN GAMES (NGKids) and SUPER GEAR: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up (Charlesbridge), Astronaut-Aquanaut, and Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner, Save the Crash-test Dummies. Her  BRAIN GAMES book was even #13 on the The Planets.org 50 Best Science books Ever Written.

 

We hope you are enjoying our STEM Tuesday blog. If you use it in your classroom or homeschool, please let us know. And if you have a topic that you would like us to cover that we haven’t yet, leave your suggestion in the comments below.  GO STEM!!